Work Ethic Is Dead

Statistics say that one in four of Generation Alpha still live at home with their parents. I may just be a redneck at heart, but I can still count; that's 25%! This begs the question, once mom and dad are pushing up daisy's, who will pay for the Yoo Hoo and Cheetos? An even bigger question is, who will pay the mortgage? Will they have to start heading over to the nearest pawn shop and trade their worn-out Play Station 4 for cash in order to get money to buy bologna and cheese? I think at that point one of two things will have to happen, there will either be a mass exodus of homeless people living on the street or they will all head out at the same time trying to obtain a job for the first time in their lives; either way it should be interesting, although not necessarily comical. At that point their only real hope will be to vote Burney Sanders into office and see if they can get a mortgage forgiveness plan put into place. Remember reading about bankers jumping out of windows in the stock market crash of 1929? Burney's version of what makes America great would resemble a Tupperware Party from the 70's with free fondue and a door prize. It's interesting that a person as seasoned as Burney doesn't realize that free everything is a recipe for disaster. And, just asking, but couldn't the patented burp of the Tupperware be considered a superpower like Spiderman's ability to scale tall buildings unfettered? I'm bound to ask all of these questions today because of a news story I recently read that tickled me; and then after considering the ramifications it metaphorically set my hair on fire.

On February 10th a woman named Paula Boss stopped into her local Fairlawn Ohio Taco Bell for her fair share of artery clogging mock-Mexican gruel when she saw the following sign posted on the front door: "THE DINING ROOM IS CLOSED UNTIL MY EMPLOYEES CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE ON TIME. WE ARE VERY SORRY FOR THE INCONVIENCE AND WILL BE GLAD TO SERVICE YOU THE BEST WE CAN THROUGH THE DRIVE THRU ONLY AT THIS TIME. PLEASE BARE WITH US UNTIL WE CAN FIND THE RIGHT TEAM TO SERVICE OUR COMMUNITY PROPERLY."

As I continued to read on in the article, I got a good laugh because those sub-par employees were being called out for being lazy and self-serving. It's no damn wounder they act like they do, that little rectangle box they all have their noses buried in makes them feel as though they are the most important person in the world. Then, as I read on, I saw where the district manager was asking the store manager to apologize to the employees for embarrassing them. NO! The store manager's instincts were spot on; we should be applauding her! So, they were embarrassed, sounds to me as if they deserved that. Agreed? There should be more of this type of "calling it as we see it" in the world, not less. They are lucky I wasn't their store manager; I'd listed each one's phone number and then taken my lumps for it later. Let those jackasses be awakened in the middle of the night when the stoners of the world are unable to get their Chili Cheese Chalupa fix. They should consider that a learning process.

In the military, if you are caught in your bunk five minutes after reveille, they will turn your bunk over on top of you and then laugh about it. People always wonder why folks in the military tend to shine like a new penny. It's called discipline my friends. And while it may not quite be dead, it has had a hospice nurse called in to keep it comfortable until its untimely (but certain) demise. For those of us that need a refresher course in discipline it can be explained as follows: THE PRACTICE OF TRAINING PEOPLE TO OBEY RULES OR A CODE OF BEHAVIOR, USING PUNISHMENT TO CORRECT DISOBEDIENCE. It may sound like an outdated concept, but I can assure if done correctly it still works. You can just about bet that the level of discipline these kids are receiving at home is setting at near zero. Just keep in mind, the only way to keep a child's feet on the ground is to keep a bit of weight on their shoulders.

Just how did the screw-ups in our culture go from being ridiculed (as they should be) to being "delightfully put up with?" Personally, I am sick to death of getting "customer service" from squint-eyed teenagers that are so high they can barely see. Then rolling those glassy eyes when they think I am not looking. Whatever happened to the days when we able to power through our jobs without a mental crutch? Being on time for a job should be looked at as a binding social contract, not an inconvenience. Not showing up on time, ready to work, is the same as telling you employer that whatever task they are trying to complete is not worth your while. If you really feel that way you should probably just go home and spit shine your participation trophies. Maybe you should spend a little less time making sure you security ankle bracelet matches your shoes and purse and spend a little more time considering the Gross National Product. Some folks think taking a "me day" is their right and that's how they stick it to the man. But remember, if it were not for the man, you'd be in an alley somewhere fighting stray cats over the remnants of a half-empty tuna can. It's interesting that over the past few years class envy has become a thing, and people have turned their hatred for the ultra-rich into a sport. But have you ever tried getting a paycheck from a poor man? Just remember, in order for us to get our share they must first get theirs. Theirs will always be bigger, but let's be honest, they probably have sacrificed more than we have.