Grateful

Well, I reclaimed my seized vehicle last Monday, after a quick little exchange of $241 (apparently, they did not round to the nearest day for the extra $20 impound fee)—which definitely came from Visa. So perhaps a begrudged thank-you is warranted to Visa for it's efficient money-lending services. With interest, of course.

I had a short discussion with a close friend last night regarding our different employers' many thanks to us for our services. Whether it be working in a dorm, Starbucks, or the library it always amazes me how appreciative my various employers have always been in response to my performance at work. In D.C. this summer, constant accolades for my work and ability. At the library this semester, many thankyous and compliments abound. I even received a gift card to Wal-Mart as a token of their goodwill. At Starbucks from more than a year ago, my manager continues to herald my "achievements", which, rather inconspicuously, remain outside of my performance at Starbucks; there, I remained a simple barista for nearly 3 years—largely, mind you, because of school considerations and my perceived disinterest in pursuing the position of
"shift supervisor," on which, I must say, few achieve and maintain.

At any rate, we decided that we perceive as being overvalued at work is not necessarily overvaluelization, but rather the great value placed on being responsible, working citizens. While I admit to not working as hard as I might under the "perfect" working conditions, I will say that it is ingrained in me to work for whatever dollar I make, whether I view the exchange of services as equal or not. Indeed, we concluded that our employers are grateful for the most basic of services, which, apparently, are of a kind of rare occurence: showing up on time, being responsible, taking one's own initiative, and pursuing high quality in one's performance.

Sure, I might be flattering myself a little in discussing this, but the point remains: work hard and it pays off.