As I have mentioned before, I am a teacher. And on Monday afternoons we have out meetings for various things. Sometimes they are faculty meetings with things we need to talk over as a group and other times we meet in smaller committees to go over school business in our assigned areas. This week was a committee meeting. Since I am new to my school this year, I got assigned to the social committee. Mostly we send cards and flowers for new babies, or wedding showers or when someone is sick or a family member passes away. We also pay for the holiday party and for an end of the year party and host staff breakfasts once a month during the school year. Each staff member is asked to pay dues to the committee to cover all these expenses. At my old school, everyone paid and there was no corresponding issues with it. I assumed this was the norm. Wow, was I wrong.
This year at school, there are quite a few people on the staff that haven't (and don't plan on) paying. I paid because I feel like it's for the good of the group and that's what I am used to doing. But I see where these people who didn't pay are coming from — they are not able to attend the parties and don't plan on getting married or having babies and are fine with skipping the cake at the boring showers. More power to them. I don't care if they don't pay and I don't mind sharing the parties or baked goods at breakfast with the people who didn't pay — isn't this whole ideal of a social committee to be social and hospitable? I know they didn't pay for it but can't we share? Aren't we teachers who teach young children this many times a day?
This lesson was apparently not taught at the school where my colleagues grew up. In my meeting today, when the idea of buying pizza for an upcoming staff meeting came up, the question of, "what do we do about non-paying staff?" came up. I replied with, "can't we just kill them with kindness? Let them eat the pizza and share with us. And when we serve it, please remind them that we are happy to share and to please keep this in mind when making decisions regarding dues next year." My statements were met with shock and awe. You would of thought I had just committed murder with they the outraged look I got from two of the people in the room.
When they argued back that it was unfair and that they didn't pay their $30 so that other people could eat the food too, I mentioned that it all seemed a little "petty." Whoops. I guess that was rude, wasn't it? But seriously, can anyone think of a better word than petty to describe grown people not wanting to share pizza with their colleagues because a few of them didn't contribute? What happened to rising above and doing the right thing?
While this is just a silly example of pettiness, I feel like the overwhelming issue is a pretty big one these days. I go to work each day and teach a generation of entitled children — they do not know how to work for things or really persevere through a difficult problem. They also don't know how to be truly grateful for the things that are given to them and to offer courtesy to others. They don't know how to take turns and put others best interests in front of their own. Aren't these the important things in life? Treating other as you want to be treated and being kind and generous above all else?
After seeing my grown peers act the way they did today over a few pieces if pizza, I can't say I am surprised to see their troubled offspring teeming about in my classroom.
Nothing like complaining about society being damned and the future generations to make you feel like a crotchety old person... In the words of Blink 182, "well, I guess this is growing up."
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