Observations from Work

For the past 12 weeks, I have been engaged in the arduous task of manual labor at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. Its been a mostly love-hate struggle for the majority of the summer. A combination of annoying sea gulls, pampered and rude members, and sometimes hazardous conditions (i.e. extreme heat with little protection from it) has compelled me to strongly dislike my job. However, I enjoy putting a positive spin on things and the job is quite rewarding-- get to watch God's canvas over and over again with gorgeous sunsets (even saw the green flash a few times this summer!) and I made some good friendships with a group of guys really needing Jesus.

Through the course of the summer I have stumbled upon a few funny epiphanies to keep me going:

1) After watching Planet Earth right before the summer, I am constantly reminded of the extraordinary lengths male birds will go to attract a mate. In a bizarre connection, I've felt the same way, except I'm looking for a tip and not a mate! Although a mate from the Beach Club could help me pay for college... that's a mildly entertaining idea. Anyway, I've got to present myself in a polished manner, be fake-friendly with the guest/member and pretend that whatever they have to say is the most intriguing thing I've ever heard. In addition, I am perpetually cleaning and organizing equipment in case another potential tipper comes along. Weird connection I know, maybe the heat got to me... you be the judge.

2) On occassion, I've felt like the guy from Pursuing Happyness: Will Smith's character. The guy has to carry his bone scanner thingy all through San Francisco because if he leaves it behind (which happens) it will probably be stolen (which definitely happens also). Much the same way, this stuff would happen at the Club all the time; if a guest asked for what we call a windboard table (basically two tables lying sideways with a board balanced on top) I would have to find all the equipment and carry it with me so nobody else would steal it. Of course, there were instances when I had to set it down to make things a little easier, and got equipment jacked, either by a coworker or greedy member.

3) This is a rather unfortunate observation-- Numerous times on a daily basis, I see people at there worst -either directly or indirectly. Indirectly is illustrated in people's wastefulness and laziness. For instance, a guest will come asking for towels, and I'll ask them how much they need. The largest request was 16, and only a handful of times was it for 1. People are so incredibly wasteful there, using way too many towels which ultimately affects a chain of people (I have to pick up the towels off the beach, which is then picked up by another person from my crew to take to housekeeping, who then works to the bone to ensure the towels are cleaned... this cycle wastes both water/energy and manpower). Wastefulness is also illustrated by food left on the beach, as people will leave half-eaten sandwiches or entire cocktails that are either picked off by the seagulls or us after the seagulls have demolished a bag.

Direct contact is also pretty disheartening, with people complaining about utterly trivial things. For example, people will request to have their table moved 30 ft. one way over another because they don't want to walk an extra ten yards from their room. On requests like this, it is difficult to refrain from laughing. Also, people will complain about being too close to another party and will then yell at us like its our fault. Furthermore, since our beach is considered private, people from the public La Jolla Shores are able to walk through the property, but they cannot stay. Members and guests alike can be especially unreasonable, and will freak if they see a "trespasser" stop to fix his or her diving equipment on one of our lounge chairs or a couple enjoying the sunset on our sand.

Yeah I know I'm complaining a bit here, but after a full summer of dealing with difficult people definitely takes its toll!! But there are some good lessons for me that I have learned. I've learned a strong work ethic might not always get you noticed right away, but after a while people will respect your dependability. Thats a trait I feel I possessed throughout the summer, I was even picked employee of the month! In addition, another valuable lesson learned is that money does not ensure happiness. These people that complain to me regularly are rolling in cash from their high-paying jobs or superb investments. Even though they have money I can only dream of, they are still unhappy and generally bitter. They treat us and others as less than human, which generally gets me pretty heated.

However, this summer provided an excellent test for me... to love others regardless of the circumstances. It's easy to have compassion for or like a guest that just tipped you $20. Its much harder to have the same feelings for someone that you feel wronged you viciously. In many respects, I failed to love others as fellow image-bearers of God, and for that I ask for His grace and forgiveness. I feel my witness this summer could have been much more effective had I embraced pesky guests/members, rather than sink to their level and treat them as less than human behind their back.

Well this was some interesting ramblings on my part, hopefully it makes sense cause I'm too lazy to edit it. Here's some thoughts for the future (hopefully)-- I've been tossing around some new ideas for my blog, which will most likely include a 2nd name change. In addition, I want to be more consistent on here. We'll see how it all plays out.

Til then, cheers!