Tabatha Deans

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, AND THE ZEN MCDONALDS
The good news is the young junkie in the kitchen was fired, after showing up for work high as a kite, bragging that he had been up for 48 hours straight. And he was replaced with a hard-working, middle-aged woman, who definitely made my job much easier. She cleaned like a fiend, she was polite to customers and she can run a grill like no tomorrow.
The bad news is, she asked if I could come in and work for her early on the 26th, because she had to appear in court on felony charges. She may, or may not, be escorted directly to jail for 3-5 years. (her attorney assures her that her previous DUI’s and drug charges won’t have any bearing on this particular grand theft auto charge.)
So, after another day in the Hell’s kitchen, I took the train home and made my nightly walk up the mall, resumes in hand, just in case I spotted a new “now hiring” sign that I haven’t already applied to. I stopped at McDonald’s to drop a movie at Redbox, baffled by the fact that as many people as there are out here fighting for jobs, how can felons possibly keep getting them.
As I stood in line at Redbox, waiting for the couple in front of me to choose their movies, I started to relax. I wasn’t sure what was causing it, then I realized that there was some very soothing music playing in the lobby. I looked around, and saw that each wall was covered with several flat screen TV’s, all of which were playing serene mountain scenes, or waterfall scenes, of wildlife running. The videos, in conjunction with the music was very zen-like, and despite trying to fight it, and my confusion at the purpose of creating this kind of ambience in a McDonald’s, I continued to relax. And by the time it was my turn at the Redbox, I was smiling, and had nearly forgotten about my day.

September 13, 2011 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized