My 14 year old has a job. At McDonald's. And the kid is loving it. Maybe that is what McDonald's is referring to in their advertising: the 'loving it' refers to the joy a 14 year old has when earning his/her own income for the very first time. Listening to my child tell me about how a shift went has reminded me of lessons we all need to remember:

There are a whole lot of things that my child is learning in a first job. How to manage time. Why being reliable is one of the most valued attributes an employee can have. How to stand there and get abused by aggressive adults who have CLEARLY forgotten that people working the register at the fast food joint deserve a modicum of manners (and respect). How money doesn't go far at all. I am immensely proud of my child. Working hard preparing for the interview, turning up for every shift, and taking all the criticism (constructive and otherwise) on the chin. Keeping smiling in the face of rude and aggressive customers and delighting in using fledgling Mandarin language skills with a lovely, older customer with no English speaking skills. Learning tenacity and taking enormous pride in dealing with an anxiety disorder in a situation that gives ample opportunity to freak out under pressure. Most of us have forgotten what it was like to get our first job. It's a wonderful reminder to remember those very first lessons and to be grateful for the opportunities we are given.