Entry #8

Dolores Dante, waitress:

            I never have really put serious thought into the job of a waiter or waitress. I guess I always assumed it was a job for people that need quick money and see the job as a means to an end. To me serving people all day does not sound appealing. I do not think I could have a job in which I work to please others and do not really think about myself. Dolores Dante’s experiences and reflections on her job as a waitress are so fascinating to me because it is a job I could not see myself enjoying. She loves the job because it allows her to learn about people and the world comes to her. As a waitress, Dolores constantly interacts with different types of people, but the nature of her interaction is unattractive to me. She loves her job despite the challenges that come from the costumers, her boss, the cooks, fellow waitresses, and even bartenders. It is great to read a story about someone who is passionate about what they do. Dolores’s passion leads to popularity, which actually creates more problems for her. She does not seem to fret because she explains, “I tell everyone I’m a waitress and I’m proud”. Dolores loves a job that I could never imagination myself loving. But that is not what I take from her story. She is a person who loves what she does and does not worry or even care about the title or appearance associated with the job. Too many people find occupations just for the money, and I think everyone whishes they would have the guts to be like Dolores and just do what they are passionate about.

Phil Stallings, autoworker:

            One broad quote from Phil Stallings’s detailed story is what really resonates with me. He goes into great specifics about his job as a spot welder but also about the Ford assembly plant. Phil describes what he actually does for the job and what goes on inside his head during the job. The details of his story include the functionality of the plant, the perception of a foreman, the lack of pride felt in his work, and a stand the workers took one time. But the part of his story that really forced me to think was when he said, “They give better care to that machine than they will to you. They’ll have more respect, give more attention to that machine. And you know this. Somehow you get the feeling that the machine is better than you are.” He laughs after saying this, yet it was a serious feeling that all factory workers had to feel. This idea of machine becoming greater than man is even more present today. Anyone who works with machines realizes the power a machine possesses. It is frightening to think that machines could replace the jobs of so many people. The efficiency and cost of a machine makes them even more attractive. The threat of machines was prevalent in 1972 as Phil explained. The threat has consistently grown and now we are faced with a time where machines could soon replace men.