the curse of the greener grass

For a long time, I was searching for something to occupy my days. At certain times, I was at peace with my housewifely status of making lunches, cleaning and baking. Other times, I felt a bit nutty. Now it’s Week 3 of work and the curse has set in. I’m not longing for the days of staying home. But this job! This is a retail store that doesn’t even write a receipt when a sale is made. The owner actually pockets the money from some sales. And the worst part: somehow I care enough to make it better. I don’t know what compels me to stay when all I want to do during the day is slowly jab a finger-sized hole in my eye.

Some of the characters:

1. the stealer: this was a woman who was very ingratiating when I first arrived (shoulda seen it coming). Then I find out she’s stolen money more than once from the company – even being as ballsy as telling customers a higher price for an item and then pocketing the difference. She’s on the verge of being fired. We’ve issued her a letter so one more mistake and she’s a goner.
2. the brown tooth guy: he’s a very nice man who has ingested too much fluoride.
3. the talk talk girl: chubby, funny, not shy, demands I learn Amharic.
   

I want the stoner guy back. He was the glue in this disaster of a business. I miss his jokes – the one about the too much yellow and feeling like you’re in an egg. Probably had to be there.

I have to compare this job to the others I’ve had. Of course, I’m idealizing all those other jobs. Eldorado – got to be outside on the lake all day. What could be better than that?
Young + Wright – they had a supply of pens for whenever you needed them. What could be better than that?
KFC – one word: poutine. What could be better than that?
The Gap – the ever expanding wardrobe. What could be better than that?
The Daily Express – getting up at 5 in the morning to see the sunrise. What could be better than that?
Andreen's Pharmacy where I worked when I was 14 – having to do a price check on condoms. What could be better than that?

Oh to be happy with less. Here, people’s destinies are pretty much set. A baby born to a homeless mother doesn’t have a lot of options. Someone who works at a café might still be working there 10 years from now. Are they happy? I don’t know. But why do I keep wanting more, more, more when others do with less?