It's Time to Hang Up the Broom

I've decided to call it quits at the theater at the end of August. That means that soon I won't be able to inform and entertain you on this blog. I know the world will be deeply disappointed...all 14 of you who view my blog on a regular basis:).

I started this blog as a commentary on people who come to be entertained at my theater. At first I was horrified that so many people hadn't been raised to clean up after themselves. Then I became incensed as I understood that many people today have this entitlement attitude that simply because you pay to see a movie, you've got the right to desecrate property that doesn't belong to you. I especially resented hearing people say to their partners that it was ok to leave their trash because we (ushers) get paid to clean up their mess.

Last night I watched "Last Vacation" on TV with one of my daughters. In the movie, Queen Latifa played a woman who worked in the retail business serving the customers. She was really good at her job, even if she wasn't appreciated by her manager. After finding out that she had a terminal disease and had only three weeks to live, Queen withdrew her life savings and decided to go out with a bang, flying to Europe to stay at a ritzy hotel she'd only dreamed about in her 'possibilities' scrapbook. While there, Queen attracted the admiration of both guests and staff by her gracious manner. When she observed hotel employees being verbally abused by a guest, she confronted that guest and told her that she had no right to curse and abuse the person who was trying to make her stay as nice as possible; that just because someone is paid to serve you doesn't mean that they aren't human too, or that they don't have dreams just as big as your own, or that their circumstances may not be as favorable as your own and they're doing the best they can for those they love.

I don't know how many more 'reviews' I'll do in the remaining month I'm working at the theater. It really does become tiring to write the same stuff over and over; and it can become depressing to see so many who have so little regard for others. It's been nine months, longer than I thought I'd last; and I can't say it's been fun. But I do have more respect for those who are 'beneath' my social status. Whether it's students who are just learning what it is like to earn their own money, or disabled but functional people who need to feel productive, to people like myself who needed to earn extra money because we're taking care of sick children or paying off Uncle Sam for taxes we didn't know we owed; theater employees, waiters/ waitresses, people in retail, customer support, and all service industries are deserving of respect and kindness. There is no amount of money that justifies bad behaviour. More importantly, treating others with respect and kindness makes you a better person. You might not see yourself as an ungrateful, unappreciative, and slovenly pig; but what you do and what you fail to do speaks volumes about your character...even if it's just taking your trash with you when you leave the theater; or standing a little closer to the urinal and squatting a little closer to the toilet seat.

Whether or not Hollywood continues to turn out drivel disguised as entertainment, I hope that you will be mindful of those who do their best to make your experience the best it can be. It's OK to complain about a messy bathroom or that the auditorium is too cold or too loud, but please do so in a pleasant way. You'll see a vast difference in the response you get when you treat that usher or concession employee with respect. You'll make their job more enjoyable and they will try harder and everyone wins.

I guess the thing I'll miss most, other than my political discussions with my Muslim friend, are the free movie passes. I don't think I'll pay to see as many movies as I did before I became an employee - there just aren't that many good movies worth the time and expense. But if they'll continue to turn out movies like The Bucket List, The Dark Knight, Mama Mia, and stories that inspire and make me want to be a better person, I'll plop down the $9.00 for a ticket and I'll spend $11 on concessions to help the theater meet their payroll. And I'll always take my trash with me when I leave.