Empowerment

Recently, I was in Dollarama on one of my essential shopping trips. Usually, the line is long, and everyone just waits their turn as the clerks at the check outs whiz you through.  On this day, there was no one in line, I just walked up to a young man running the till.  At the start of the new year, I had decided I would make a point of asking service people "how is your day going?". So, I asked this man my question and he replied, "it was good", he smiled and acknowledged me. He asked me how my day was going, and we talked a wee bit, as total strangers do.  I want to say he was in his early thirties; he wore a wedding ring which said to me he was part of financially running a household.  When I came away from that interaction, I thought to myself "I wonder if he ever desired to do more than a clerk at Dollarama?"  It was evident to me that this man, enjoyed working at Dollarama and if he didn't, he acted like he did.  Clearly, he felt it was enough.  

A few days later, I stopped for gas at the Coop. A good majority of the staff seem to be happy to work there. Many are retired men, and they are glad to work only a few days a week and have a purpose to get up in the morning.  When I went inside to pay, the man at the till was not retired, he was not even 50, by my assessment.  Before, I could ask him about his day, he asked "how is your day going?"  I replied, "it was a good day, and it was clear he was having a good day".  He said he was having a great day, he had just started work, and he loved his job.  I assured him it was clear to me that he loved his job. For reasons of his own, he chose to be happy and pleasant to everyone.  He didn't realize he was empowering the customers to be pleasant and happy back.  I felt great after I left from that experience and knew I was going to have a wonderful day.     

Mom and I had a discussion about how the use of the food bank has increased.  Mom shared a conversation she had had with a friend. Her friend felt part of the problem was that people don't know how to grocery shop, and they needed to be taught. Can you imagine how empowered those people would feel if they knew how to shop economically and efficiently to feed their families.   

I have always felt that how "opportunity" arrives and is accepted in our lives is the path that we take.  I have had several women comment that I am lucky to have an education. My reply has always been; "one day I got an opportunity that you didn't get for one reason or another, that is the only difference between us".  For me I am truly grateful that I had an education as I went down my life path.  But I am also humbled by the people that don't have a formal education but are pretty darn amazing.  

My Dad used to ask Kay and I "What do you want to be when you grow up?".  I thought every child was asked that question, but I have found out that is not the case.  My Dad had 6 sisters that were all educated: 4 nurses and 3 teachers, yes, one had two careers. How that happened is just short of a miracle, but it did.  He empowered me to always think about getting an education. I remember thinking that I could be a teacher when I grew up, that it would happen.  I made sure I asked my kids the same question.  I like to ask little kids "what do you want to be when you grow up?".  Their answers are way more advanced than mine ever were. 

We are sadly, not a country that offers free secondary education.  It makes me wonder how many people wanted an education but for various reasons never obtained one.  It is a complicated process to apply to a program, and it does cost money, lots of money.  I think the most common reason is; they wanted to go to secondary school, but they felt they couldn't afford it. I believe, where there is a will there is a way, having parents pay the way does not have to be the way.  I have also heard "I don't know what I want to be". Just get started, be something, start small, you can always change your path. It is never too late; you can go to secondary school at any age.  There is something out there for everyone, be it trade school, online or a formal setting, feel empowered to do it.  

Education has a broad meaning to me. I don't believe it has to come in the form of a diploma or degree, it can be anything. It could be a weekend or online course, or an organized educational program.  It could be courses taken to be a volunteer, such as the Fire Departments.  It could be utilizing your talent and making it a successful home-based business. On the job training is a wonderful way to get educated. Just do what you do best, take something to enhance it and you are set to go.  Some of the best education will have come by watching and learning from others, mainly your parents.  

When I worked for someone else, I made it a practice to work hard and do the best I could every day.  But, when I ran my own business, I learned so much more.  I knew nothing about business or managing details of keeping that business going. The one thing that guided me every day was: I knew what I liked and didn't like in a business, and I practiced the things I liked.  I knew my clients deserved a return text or call at my earliest convenience.  Their scheduled hour was their hour and I made sure to devote my time to their treatment.  They deserved a clean and quiet environment.  Overall, my clients deserved the best of me and on the most part that is what they got. 

There is no better education and mentorship than what farm kids get.  They just wander through life with no clue the magnitude of ability they have. Farming is big business now and many farm kids have both a farming education and a secondary education.  Rarely is there ever any question whether the next generation will be able to take over the farm.  Of course, they can they have had a lifetime of learning.  I believe family businesses work the same.  It is a simple fact, the legacy continues. Just think about all of the knowledge that is lost, when we don't share our life skills. Retired people are gold mines of information and talent, but we lose the opportunity to empower others. I cherish the fact that I can knit, sew, bake and cook.  Someone taught me how to do those things and I enjoy doing any of those things with children. When a talent is shared the legacy continues and hopefully empowerment to carry it on.   

To hear the words "I love my job", is refreshing.  Even if you don't love your job, act like you do. I struggle with people that make it clear they are not happy working and appear in a bad mood. I have heard others say, "you don't know what is going on in their world".  That is true, but I have gone to work many times feeling overwhelmed, but I made sure no one knew it.  I must add that people receiving also must be kind.  I have witnessed so much rudeness and bad behavior by people towards staff. I find if I engage in the experience, it is way more pleasant and maybe the person at the till or serving your table will have a much better day.   

How can we play a part in making life better for others? We can start small by complimenting and encouraging others. We often think good things about a person, we will tell others, but we don't often tell the actual person how we feel. Those kind words may be exactly what someone needs to feel empowered to continue to do what they do.   It just feels so good to know you have impacted others. I never do this, but I need to start, my good friend tips the gas attendant.  I have heard about businesses that take on unskilled people, start them at the bottom and teach them. I feel that faith groups do a good job to support and sponsor people in need.  We need to find our own way to empower others to do the best they can.  Hopefully, the chain of empowerment will start.     

I wish that there was more mentorship and subsequent empowerment happening in the world.  As we age, we seem to know the solutions to many things. As I write this, I realize I need to pick it up and practice what I preach.  In retirement I was going to do amazing things, especially volunteering.  That, as I have already shared, has not worked out like I thought. It is clear to me whatever we are doing is not working, we need to change it up.  Let's get out there and empower people to be the best they can.  Not sure how but we will figure it out.  

 Empowerment: It is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights.