I am waiting in another McDonald’s for a student to apply. The last time was well over a year ago in Bucksport and the kid never showed. Was pretty frustrated, for several reasons. First, I hate McDonald’s. Granted it started off as an American success story…. it has gone on to literally eat away at any semblance of true culture…. and we’re fat now. Today I am sitting in Old Town, Maine and once again waiting for a student….25 minutes late at this point. Called Dad, doesn’t know where the kid is. Thinks he might be on his way. Okay then… Now the last several years have brought a new face to the Golden Arches…. they don’t look like the overly bright and plastic stores of yore. Instead of the blinding primary color schemes, everything is a dark mahogany and faux leather that practically screams “Screw You Starbucks…!!” There’s a very interesting couple two tables to my right who keep switching their attention to the Bangor Daily News and to Regis and Kelly coming from the wall mounted flat screen. The man snorts loudly at the panties Kelly is holding up, “Twenty eight bucks for a piece of LACE!??! Ridiculous! Wish she’d shut up and put ‘em on…” Nice, Luther. I never heard this in a Starbucks.
31 minutes late.
And so we wait…. waiting to help a young man try to build “employability skills” and maybe even a future. That’s how we bill it anyway. To the kids it may just be a safe place to sleep and three square meals a day. Maybe that’s enough for them right now. There is a shortsightedness among a disturbingly large amount of our students. They live for today and don’t really think of or prepare for the future. Much like the customers of McDonald’s who don’t really think about what this “meal” today will do to their health down the road if they keep coming back. What it has done to the culture of community all over this country. All over the world. Just like Wal-Mart and the other convenient box stores that have helped roll up Main Street sidewalk after Main Street sidewalk of Smalltown, USA.
41 minutes...
Maybe we are all a little late… time to stop selling ourselves and our community short. Am I happy about waiting for this kid…? No. But I’m not giving up on him. What good would that do? As far as McDonald’s goes…. I’m 0 for 2 here. I guess I should give up on McDonald’s.
Off to my next adventure….
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