As I only had a half hour before an evening Village Council meeting, I stopped in a local sub shop for a quick dinner on the go. I was the only customer there...
"Is anything on "special" tonight?" "Just the printed daily sub, drink, side (chips or cookie) combo." "How was your day?" "I have been swamped since I arrived at 9am (it's 6:30 pm now). I apologize for my snappy attitude! The other day shift employee quit because of our pay. Then our evening replacement called in sick, so I'm doing a double shift. I earn just above the $7.50 minimum wage and I pay a home sitter $15 per hour for my baby, but that increases to $30 per hour for overtime after 8 hours! I'm only in my my early twenty's so I live at my parents' home a 45 minute drive away, with my boyfriend. He commutes 1.5 hours to his job because he earns more money. Gas is expensive! Normally I make $60 in a day and pay my sitter $120, but today I'll make $180 and will pay the sitter $360. Day care out west runs $200 per day and it ain't very good! I wouldn't leave my child there!" "Do you get health coverage with this job for your baby and you?" "Nope...we're on my parents' policy, but it ain't very good either. It has high "co-pays" that I can't afford, so if me and my baby get sick we go to the emergency room and say we ain't got any insurance so we don't have to pay! Do you want some Parmesan cheese on your sub? Is this for here or take-out?" I paid my bill, and got my cup of water, and sat in the dining room at one of the numerous tables covered with crumbs on the floor also covered with crumbs. Meanwhile, The employee was in the back room talking on her I-phone..."Yeah, I got double duty here tonight..." "Good night...I hope your evening turns out better than your day..." On the exit door was a sign..."Rate your experience with us. Take an online survey and receive a coupon for a free cookie for yur next visit!"...WOW!
I left and went to the Council meeting where despite a room full of fellow neighbors and two of the three Council members objecting to the proposal, after two hours discussion they unanimously passed building a 10,000 SF industrial maintenance building directly across from my home! In order to do it, the petitioner had to have the zoning changed, and close a major area traffic relief road also in front of my home! How did it pass? Why wasn't a vote delayed to a future meeting after the neighbors' concerns could be addressed? I left the meeting dumb-founded and drove along two major roads where people were standing along their edges, with billboards advertising..."Eat here"..."Yup, we're open so buy your mattress here"...and the best...a man dressed as a Dalmatian costume..."Stop here...new pet store has opened for all of your pets' needs!" And who says there aren't lots of local alternative jobs available?
As I drove, I looked out at the billowing clouds in the sky, contrasted against the silhouettes of palm trees, toward another magnificent Florida sunset...
"Is anything on "special" tonight?" "Just the printed daily sub, drink, side (chips or cookie) combo." "How was your day?" "I have been swamped since I arrived at 9am (it's 6:30 pm now). I apologize for my snappy attitude! The other day shift employee quit because of our pay. Then our evening replacement called in sick, so I'm doing a double shift. I earn just above the $7.50 minimum wage and I pay a home sitter $15 per hour for my baby, but that increases to $30 per hour for overtime after 8 hours! I'm only in my my early twenty's so I live at my parents' home a 45 minute drive away, with my boyfriend. He commutes 1.5 hours to his job because he earns more money. Gas is expensive! Normally I make $60 in a day and pay my sitter $120, but today I'll make $180 and will pay the sitter $360. Day care out west runs $200 per day and it ain't very good! I wouldn't leave my child there!" "Do you get health coverage with this job for your baby and you?" "Nope...we're on my parents' policy, but it ain't very good either. It has high "co-pays" that I can't afford, so if me and my baby get sick we go to the emergency room and say we ain't got any insurance so we don't have to pay! Do you want some Parmesan cheese on your sub? Is this for here or take-out?" I paid my bill, and got my cup of water, and sat in the dining room at one of the numerous tables covered with crumbs on the floor also covered with crumbs. Meanwhile, The employee was in the back room talking on her I-phone..."Yeah, I got double duty here tonight..." "Good night...I hope your evening turns out better than your day..." On the exit door was a sign..."Rate your experience with us. Take an online survey and receive a coupon for a free cookie for yur next visit!"...WOW!
I left and went to the Council meeting where despite a room full of fellow neighbors and two of the three Council members objecting to the proposal, after two hours discussion they unanimously passed building a 10,000 SF industrial maintenance building directly across from my home! In order to do it, the petitioner had to have the zoning changed, and close a major area traffic relief road also in front of my home! How did it pass? Why wasn't a vote delayed to a future meeting after the neighbors' concerns could be addressed? I left the meeting dumb-founded and drove along two major roads where people were standing along their edges, with billboards advertising..."Eat here"..."Yup, we're open so buy your mattress here"...and the best...a man dressed as a Dalmatian costume..."Stop here...new pet store has opened for all of your pets' needs!" And who says there aren't lots of local alternative jobs available?
As I drove, I looked out at the billowing clouds in the sky, contrasted against the silhouettes of palm trees, toward another magnificent Florida sunset...
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