Nature Woman

My younger brother calls me at least once a week since my Dad passed on, and per usual, we tell stories to one another about everything, but especially about my Dad – things one or the other of us didn’t know, or just funny things we both know about but we tell them to get each other laughing.

There is one of many stories I didn’t know about and has been on my mind quite a bit lately as I observe certain behaviors among my fellow, um, workers (I really want to call some of them slackers). To give you some background, my Dad was born and grew up during the depression & WWII, and he knew what it was like to wear shoes until there was nothing left of them, and how to work and be appreciative for little money, among many other things. Here’s a page out of my Dad’s ledger he kept when he was 12 years old, during WWII.  I’m not sure what he was doing at this age for someone in Feb. – maybe shoveling snow.  I know he said he used to mow grass when he was young.

So the story is, my Dad, my Mom and my younger brother were in the car somewhere, when a street guy came up to my Dad’s side of the car and asked him for some money. Across the street was a McDonald’s with a help wanted sign in their window. My Dad said to the guy, “if you need money, the McDonald’s over there is hiring.”

How awesome is this?

Both of my parents were/are very hardworking people, and they instilled that within us, oh, I could tell you some stories – and as a result of this training, slackers really frost my hiney. Along with people who hang out at traffic signals with large signs in their hands expecting me to hand over my hard-earned money. That is not to say that I don’t do things for needy people, like knitting hats and gloves and scarves, because I don’t like the thought of anyone being cold, and etc.

But now I know what to say to anyone who asks me for a hand-out – “go get a job at McDonald’s.”