The Clothes I Wear

In the past few years, I’ve gone from preacher to teacher to deli worker.  I know it shouldn’t matter but I was embarrassed by how different I look in the mirror these days.  

I went from this: 

To this: 

Do I think I’m better than the people with whom I work now? No, I do not.  And after I spent several exhausting hours my first evening at this new job, I was humbled because this deli gig is overwhelming.  My new workmates showed a great deal of patience as they trained me. 

I was also fascinated with them.  The shift supervisor is former military.  Another fellow had been a food service professional for many years.  Yet another had been a personal chef for one of the uber-rich families of Florida. And another is a music teacher at one of the elementary schools.  He does this work for extra income. Oh, and he also performs in a band. Finally, there is the woman who is raising her grandchildren while working fulltime.

They’re smart and old enough to have wounds that make them interesting, and I enjoyed exchanging life stories with them. 

They make the uniform look good.  I went from being embarrassed to hoping I’ll be worthy of it.