(1) Response to injustice (2) What to do while you wait?
September 18, 2022
At this writing, I’m spending most of my time at the Dunkin’ Donuts in the 800 block of Guilford Avenue. This is about 200 yards from the shelter. I can drink coffee, use the wi-fi, go online, charge my laptop, and use the bathroom. I can go outside (taking all my stuff with me) and smoke, and come back in. The wi-fi at Dunkin’ is completely reliable, whereas the wi-fi at the shelter is completely unreliable. At this writing, I drink four large frozen mocha coffees each day, at $5.71. I am never there without coffee.
Related: The Problem with Jon Stewart
In the morning there are four or five workers there. That’s from 5:00 to 15:00. From 15:00 to closing, that is, 21:00, there is one single worker there, a swarthy young man (Most of the staff are South Asians.); he is there every day, seven days a week; I’ve never seen him get a day off. At times, he is exceptionally busy serving customers; for twenty minutes at a time, it may be constant, energetic activity.
It appears that he has an issue with me. Personally. Whatever that means.
I began to notice a pattern, that if someone were behind me in line, he would take my order, and then take that person’s order; and then prepare that person’s order before mine. If there were two people behind me in line, he would take both their orders, prepare both their orders, and then prepare mine.
“First come, first served” doesn’t apply.
Today he prepared the orders of five parties behind me in line, before he prepared mine.
That brought me to a breaking point.
If I were to complain, to him or to the higher-ups — I’m not intending for him to get fired. — whatever the higher-ups might say, it’s still him and me, and it’s possible the issue could escalate in an untoward direction. I recalled the process by which I became persona non grata at McDonald’s(*). In the end, he’s holding all the cards.
And I have nowhere else to go.
If I were to accept that this has been happening and is likely to continue to happen, what then?
If this makes me a doormat, then that is consistent with the teaching of the late Everett Irion, an exponent of the Cayce material.
Related: Transparency
The question becomes, what to do while I wait. Sometimes I have to wait a long time.
Back when we were at the Comfort Inn (“Podcast — Contrasts and Justice in downtown Baltimore”), I began to become frustrated with various times when I had to wait. I had to wait for the elevator to come, to go downstairs. I had to wait for the elevator to come, to go back upstairs. I often had to wait in line at Starbucks, before I could place my order. And then I had to wait until my order was prepared.
For the moment, I’ve decided to use that time to pray for the nation, principally for the healing of our political strife. Americans are destined to have political differences; that’s inevitable. But the strife, the lack of love for one’s fellow countryman or countrywoman — that is completely unnecessary.
And this pray-ing is consistent with my career goals.
Related: Mildew’s dream for America
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(*)Related:
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