068

Since the new year (cliche I know), I’ve been going to the gym at 5:15 in the morning about 3 times a week.

Just around 6 am when I’m on my way back into the apartment I see this lovely little woman (shes older). And every morning we have the same conversation.

Me: Goodmorning!

Her: Goodmorning, how are you??

Me: I’m very well, how are you?

Her: I’m fine, thank you!

— —

Everytime the same conversation. Everytime the same smile. Everytime the same broken english. And everytime it makes me so happy.

She’s our apartment complexs’ cleaning lady. I know how some may think that’s irrelevant to anything - but to me its actually important. Still, in 2020 theres this stigma around foreign workers - whether that’s your auto shop, cleaning service, or any other job for that matter. I see it all the time with coworkers, friends, etc how we react to those jobs.

The point is just be fucking nice to people no matter what.

— —

When I was growing up, maybe between the ages of 10-14, my mom would always ask me to come help her out at work at night. She would bargain with me saying she would give me a 10 dollar bill. Back then that was a lot!

She was also a cleaning lady - except of funeral homes. The job scared the living shit out of me, but I was in it not only for the money but because I saw how tired my mom always was. Maybe that’s why I always try to show love for these jobs, because I’ve done that dog shit of a job.

— —

PS - One night when I was working in that said funeral home, I was upstairs vacuuming and all the lights were off in the largest conference style room. As I was vacuuming into the room, I flicked the lights on. I looked up. And looking up at the ceiling was a dead man in an open casket. Never felt more like usan bolt sprinting down the stairs screaming to my mom. A feeling i’ll never forget.