i went through the chick-fil-a drive through yesterday morning for a chicken biscuit. until recently, i didn't even know that chick-fil-a did breakfast. actually, it was on a recent business trip to orlando that i discovered the chick-fil-a breakfast menu. mmm...
anyway, so i placed my order by screaming into the litlte speaker box in the drive through. the order was repeated back to me for confirmation and i closed my eyes to hear better like i always do (it's the only way i can imagine the words with my own accent so i can understand them properly). i confirmed the order, she responded with the price and instructions to drive to the window, i said thank you, and then she responded with, "it is my pleasure."
as i drove to the window i was thinking how odd her response sounded -- "it is my pleasure". really? is there pleasure in gathering a chicken biscuit and coffee for me? that's just too hard to believe. who would want to do that? maybe it's just one of those "english is not my first language" kind of things. you know, sometimes ESL folks will use phrases that are more textbook sounding than conversational sounding. maybe that was it.
i drove to the window, handed over some cash for the breakfast goodies, and recieved my change. again i said, "thank you", and again she said, "it is my pleasure". this time she said it we were face to face -- i wasn't closing my eyes concentrating really hard on understanding what was coming from a speaker on a pole. this time i could look into her eyes when she said it. and you know what? i think she was telling the truth. i don't think it was a textbook phrase being repeated. i think she genuinely had some pleasure in the work that she was doing. funny how i expect that she hates her job, would rather be doing something else, would prefer to not serve a hundred customers a day, and doesn't get any pleasure out of her work. i think that says more about me than i'd like to admit.
it is possible to find joy and pleasure in what we do -- at least that's what i say that i believe. in theory that sounds right. but interesting that i found it hard to believe that someone could find pleasure in their work at a drive through window. on some level, i admire this gal. i can learn something from her.
