My grandfather, without fail, did the dishes after
family dinners. It was his way of
contributing to the household chores. To
his generation, kitchen duty was not generally considered as manly work, but he
dove in until his fingers pruned.
Thankfully for us, he never decided to chip in on the cooking. Us kids were often reminded of the story
about the time he was in charge of providing dinner for his three young
daughters. One night and he served them raw onion sandwiches. The youngest girl's sandwich ended up stuffed into
the sugar jar while my grandfather had stepped away from the table.
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| No one is too good to wash the dishes. |
My point (and there is one here) is that by watching my
grandfather actions, I came to realize that there is no task that is too menial
for anyone. Just as it would not seem
off-putting to me when I was asked to help out in the sink after dinner, I try
to demonstrate that there aren't tasks that I won't do because of my level of experience or my so-called seniority. Having
worked in this office for eighteen years, I have certainly done my share of
menial tasks. But I have also seen my
superiors do their share of less-than-glamorous tasks, whether it be tracing background drawings, coloring in floor plans or quick cadd sketches. Psychologically, it seems so much easier to
help out someone who you know has either been in your position, or better yet,
continues to perform the same kinds of tasks you are being asked to do.
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| Some tasks will always stink. |
