There was a day, when I was little, that I got to go with my mom and dad to their respective jobs for half a day or so. I remember it as the same day, but it may have been two different days. I don't remember why it came about - perhaps a P.A. Day coincided with unavailable child care, or maybe they just decided that I would benefit from spending some time with them at their respective places of employment.
As I recall, I must have been about six or seven, so it's a bit hazy.
My mom worked in a neighbourhood drugstore, and I had been to visit her at work many times. She worked behind the pharmacy counter, which was very tall, and my mom is not, so I'd always walk in and say "mom?" and she would stand on tiptoe and say, 'Hi there," and come out from behind the counter to visit. I always wondered what mysteries went on behind that high counter.
So on this day, I remember my mother took me to work, and I got to go behind the counter. She showed me around, and then she took me to the cubicle where the sink was, and said, "Cleaning up after our coffee break is an important part of working here. You can help by washing these coffee cups for us."
So I got to wash dishes. I have no other recollection of what she showed me that day, except that I came away thinking that life was pretty unfair if you had to do dishes at work.
My dad worked in an office for a trucking company. When he took me into the office trailer, the first thing he showed me was the sink, and said, "Cleaning up after our coffee break is an important part of working here. You can help by washing these coffee cups."
Having a job, I thought, would be no fun. All it meant was that you had to do dishes.
Today is Take Our Kids To Work Day here in Canada. Grade 9 students will go to work with their parents to gain a better understanding of what kinds of jobs there are, and what their parents do all day. My child, who lives where I work, balked at going to work with me.
"I already know what you do at work," she said. "You sit at your desk all day, surf the 'Net and send emails. And then you have a rest and watch Guiding Light. If I stay home, you'll make me do laundry."
I had planned to teach her some things, and have her do some filing, and let her play with Quark. And maybe answer the phone. But she didn't believe me, and continued to protest.
So instead, she's going to spend half a day at work with her grandma in the drugstore. I can hardly wait to see how she reacts when she finds out that getting out of doing laundry got her into doing dishes.
ROFL! I can't wait to hear her reaction. I miss you on IM! But I've been reading your blog faithfully.
Posted by: Linda Sherwood | November 02, 2005 at 05:06 AM
Times have truly changed..everyone one--male & female now has to clean up their own dishes, so alas, there were no dishes for Granddaughter to wash. She did however make a great cup of coffee ! Is THAT what she will remember 25 years from now ?
Posted by: mom | November 02, 2005 at 05:10 PM