America,
I am in the business of people. By that I mean, as an "actor/writer/blahblahblah" to know people is my job.
As a human on the planet, to understand people is my duty. Why? Because I have elected to be someone who gives a shit. And that comes with a price. And that price is respect, consideration, empathy, and understanding. I meet all people with inherent respect and the belief that they should be understood. I follow that path until I am proven otherwise.
AND FOR THE RECORD, I do no think it is so hard to like our peers, if we all take a second to pay attention to one another.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I DON'T THINK IS ACCEPTABLE???? These things:
I work in the service industry. And I see some unsightly things. Just last week:
"3.30 for a coke from Mexico? NO, that's too much. I won't pay that. We give them too much money already."
--HM. Yes, we do. In the Disneyland of your retarded mind. I am supposed to welcome you and say that you should sit in this restaurant for as long as you like, but you know what, ASSHOLE? Your closed-minded, rude ideals are not welcome here. What I think you should do is go the fuck somewhere else where it acceptable to say such hateful things so openly. This place for lovers is CLEARLY not for you.
AND when you, person, who doesn't eat out very often, asks the price of something and then looks me in the eye and says "No, that doesn't seem like a fair price. I would NEVER pay that". Well, then perhaps you are better suited eating at another establishment, where price reflects quality, and that quality is significantly lower than what we will agree to serve here. We are not gouging you with prices just to get our rocks off. We are buying the best ingredients possible, and we are trying our damnedest to make a marginal profit off of it. You want shitty food, go pay for it someplace where your bill reflects the quality of goods. Want poop? Eat poop. Want quality meat? Eat this meat.
ON THAT NOTE: Are you vegan? Gluten free? Lactose intloerant? Allergic to peanuts? Don't come to this restaurant. Don't be angry when you do come and there aren't enough choices to accommodate your discerning character slash diet. The people designing this restaurant and menu did not have your single best interest in mind. CLEARLY. They had a vision. Just like the people who make a pizza place think about pizza. The vision of this restaurant is WHAT IT IS. You don't go to a pizza place and ask for a pot pie, so coming to where I work and getting angry that we don't have your dietary options is as retarded. This restaurantis a specific place. AS IN ALL RESTAURANTS, it has a vision. If you don't like it, GOSOMEWHREELSE>>> Be a grown up. Do not complain like a baby.
And you know what you can say when someone graciously helps you out? You can say thank you. Because you know what? If you didn't want the experience of eating out, YOU COULD EAT AT HOME. Clearly you have the resources to do so. Otherwise you would not be here in the first place. People who have no resources are sitting on the corners of out cities, neglected. Not you.
And you know what else you can do, while I'm at it? You can leave a goddamned tip. If you can AFFORD TO EAT OUT, you can afford to show those of us in the industry some respect. That's right, I said it. In some states, we don't get paid an hourly wage at all. We live entirely off of tips. In other states, like Washington, we DO get paid something. It is minimum wage. It is NOT a livable wage. And while I don't want to complain, seeing as I DID choose this for myself (being an artist and all) I think it is a fairly implied rule that when you are going out to eat, you take care of the people that take care of you. Or, you fairly decide not to pay for anyone's time and you eat at home. This is not McDonalds.
If you don't want to do that no one is putting a gun to your head to cook something for yourself. That act is rewarding and I suggest it to everyone. I would also suggest that to an asshole on a tight budget, the grocery store around the corner makes pre-made sandwiches and salads. It is never going to be the quality and experience of where I work, but then, maybe that's not what you want. Clearly.
AND ON A FINAL NOTE, all of you people with shitty babies: stay home. Go to Olive Garden. Go to Red Robin. Don't think your kid is shitty? You're probably wrong. Your kid, if they ever scream and cry in public like a mad man, is shitty. You are truly the shitty one (SEE PREVIOUS POSTS ABOUT SHITTY PARENTING) because you set the precedent for that behavior. You do it in your attention and you do it in your neglect. Our restaurant is not the place for your kid to ruin everyone else's time while you socialize with friends. It is a place for EVERYONE to enjoy themselves. The sad reality is most people don't give a shit about the long week you've had. They just don't want to be bothered by your terrible children while they try to enjoy breakfast. And they outweigh you in numbers as well as good choice making. SO, have the decency to stay home, or practice present parenting when you are in this restaurant. Just out of respect.
Those of you that have wonderful families, you are vital to our community and I thank you for your attentive parenting. Please come ANY ANY ANY time. Also, I am available to cool-baby-sit. Future humans of our world need considerate people like you to guide them, and I would like to foster that growth.
I just. I just do not accept the rudeness. I do not accept the ignorance. I do not accept the disrespect. And I think it is possible for us to live better together.
If I am wrong, consider this my letter of intent to start a commune. I do not accept the shitty haters.
Mama
2.17.2011
Dear Seattle Community
This happened
So now. A barrage of angry (and rightfully so) Facebook posts. Leading to arguments on both sides. And comments about people wanting to kill cops.
Does anyone care what I think? Well, here's what I think.
I have a hard time with this issue because I am not someone who works as a legal agent of safety for our community, and I am not a disadvantaged person with mental health issues or substance abuse problems.
It has been an extremely hard couple of years for officers in this state, and especially after an officer-in-training watched her superior get shot to death in my neighborhood last Halloween I CANNOT imagine the fear that is built into the daily work for a police officer. I also CANNOT imagine the way it truly feels to live in a system that underfunds services to help people who need help when you are one of those people.
While throughout history police officers have done things to tarnish their reputation for many of us, and homeless people have done things to sully the way some view human rights and privileges, none of us can argue that life is precious and fleeting. We all have a respect for our own lives, and we should have that same respect for other's.
It seems the real problem (because John T. Williams is already dead) lies within the structure of the society we all live in. Can't there be some way we can use this awful event as an example to learn from, and move forward with the way we train our officers, aid our homeless, and construct our governmental system?
What mayor McGinn is suggesting is on the right track, but still perhaps a tall order for a system that:
A. Let John T. Williams live on the streets
B. Allowed officer Kirk to feel he had to pull a weapon on a suspect prematurely
and C. Let him off the hook even AFTER the police chief Diaz said officer Kirk was in the wrong in is action.
This problem is bigger than weather Officer Ian Kirk was in the wrong or not.
People have strong opinions surrounding issues like this (as they should) and I think that says something. If we are all willing to argue with one another on our social networking devices, then we also need to be willing to have the larger discussion when it matters. And where it matters. About WHAT matters.
Officer Kirk resigned, and please, if you see him serving you a subway sandwich, don't throw things at him. His life is already ruined. Be angry at the system that essentially turned away from him instead of helping him learn from his actions. And when you see the activist groups with signs for John T. Williams, please don't snicker or chide them. They are mourning a person some consider a valuable part of our community.
In fact, please don't do anything at all, unless you are willing to have a voice in fixing the bigger issue. Our community is small, and could easily be one where support, understanding, services, and rules are all reasonable and accessable. This isn't New York City and this isn't Law & Order.
Let's look at the mess, and do the right thing to never let it happen again.
Mama
So now. A barrage of angry (and rightfully so) Facebook posts. Leading to arguments on both sides. And comments about people wanting to kill cops.
Does anyone care what I think? Well, here's what I think.
I have a hard time with this issue because I am not someone who works as a legal agent of safety for our community, and I am not a disadvantaged person with mental health issues or substance abuse problems.
It has been an extremely hard couple of years for officers in this state, and especially after an officer-in-training watched her superior get shot to death in my neighborhood last Halloween I CANNOT imagine the fear that is built into the daily work for a police officer. I also CANNOT imagine the way it truly feels to live in a system that underfunds services to help people who need help when you are one of those people.
While throughout history police officers have done things to tarnish their reputation for many of us, and homeless people have done things to sully the way some view human rights and privileges, none of us can argue that life is precious and fleeting. We all have a respect for our own lives, and we should have that same respect for other's.
It seems the real problem (because John T. Williams is already dead) lies within the structure of the society we all live in. Can't there be some way we can use this awful event as an example to learn from, and move forward with the way we train our officers, aid our homeless, and construct our governmental system?
What mayor McGinn is suggesting is on the right track, but still perhaps a tall order for a system that:
A. Let John T. Williams live on the streets
B. Allowed officer Kirk to feel he had to pull a weapon on a suspect prematurely
and C. Let him off the hook even AFTER the police chief Diaz said officer Kirk was in the wrong in is action.
This problem is bigger than weather Officer Ian Kirk was in the wrong or not.
People have strong opinions surrounding issues like this (as they should) and I think that says something. If we are all willing to argue with one another on our social networking devices, then we also need to be willing to have the larger discussion when it matters. And where it matters. About WHAT matters.
Officer Kirk resigned, and please, if you see him serving you a subway sandwich, don't throw things at him. His life is already ruined. Be angry at the system that essentially turned away from him instead of helping him learn from his actions. And when you see the activist groups with signs for John T. Williams, please don't snicker or chide them. They are mourning a person some consider a valuable part of our community.
In fact, please don't do anything at all, unless you are willing to have a voice in fixing the bigger issue. Our community is small, and could easily be one where support, understanding, services, and rules are all reasonable and accessable. This isn't New York City and this isn't Law & Order.
Let's look at the mess, and do the right thing to never let it happen again.
Mama
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