I went to my movie theatre job a few weekends ago. I wore my usual "outfit"....they call it the 4 Blacks: Black slacks, black socks, black belt, black shoes. Then depending on which department you work in, you get to wear a purple polo tee, purple button down, black apron, black hat, or a black vest. No earrings larger than a nickel, no piercings, no bracelets etc. The idea is to blend in, not to stand out on your own, to conform to the uniform look, it gives the guest the feeling you are there for them. It also gives you the power to at least look like and make them feel like you know what you are doing. And when they need help, you are easy to recognize.
The concessions...pop corn and drinks & the food court (that's where I started) they get to wear the hat, polo tee and apron. They are definately the hardest workers in the place. I was going to give notice, because it is SO physical it was killing me off every night when I went home....I was DEAD!
So, instead of letting me go, they put me in the box office which I was originally hired for, but there were no openings at the time....What a relief in more ways than one. Now I have the privilege of wearing the purple button down shirt and the black vest....I can have my hair free, NOT pulled back and stuffed under a hat. I am clean when I get home, I don't have shake spray across my front.....I feel a bit more cleaned up shall we say. I felt like possibly I might look a bit better, more human....than the food court area.
We also are the first impression that the guests gets when they come in. We greet, find out what they want, answer questions to where things are. It is great, I even get a stool to sit upon during the slow points of the day.....I LOVE this job now....it is fun...I love the people....I love to visit quickly and send them off to a movie.
It was a Sunday, not my favorite thing to do on the Sabbath, but it is part of the job....just like the hospital, firemen, police, pharmacy.....some places need employees on Sundays, and my boss schedules around my church times, and it's only every third, so not too bad.
Well, it is also a different type of crowd that comes on Sundays.....there is the larger sized crowd who come out cause it is slower not so many people to deal with, the weekend Dads with their kids, the tatoo people, and people who shall we say have "their own style of dressing/and or undressing", vacationers/out of towners, families, people who smell of hangovers, shy folks, the loners/singles, not so much of the dating folks, and the wheel chair people and those who have worked the manual laboring jobs and Sunday is their only day off. Personally I love this crowd, they are more appreciative of a kind word and a happy smile, I want them to feel like they are having a good experience and a fun time out spending hard earned money.
This one particular Sunday a Harley Dude/Biker guy came up, I started with my usual chatter, finding out which movie he wanted to see. He blurted out to me "Do you purposefully dress this way to look unattractive?" I was stunned, hurt, I didn't know what to say? Then he said "Do you do it to turn people off, so no one will hit on you?" I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.....then I said "I'm not sure whether you are insulting me, or giving me a compliment?" Thinking he would say something to set me straight one way or the other. Then he said "You remind me of myself" and he guestured his hands from his shoulders to the floor. I guess I just wasn't getting it? I couldn't tell what he was meaning...I was so dumb founded....so I just said "well what movie do you want to see?" Got his ticket printed out and sent him on his way. After he walked away I felt very verklempt....I had to blink back the tears.....I was working with the two married box office guys, I asked them what they thought, one said he was probably on something. They tried to be kind.
I had taken care of a very cute little family earlier that same evening, the movie they picked wasn't really something a toddler could be entertained by, so later the Mom came back out into the lobby to let her little boy run around. He had waved to me bye-bye when they got the tickets. He saw me again, so I put my arms out to him and he ran up and his Mom lifted him up to me, he gave me a big hug and high fived the other two guys I was working the box office with. I gotta say I REALLY NEEDED THAT! He held on to me for a lovely moment and then back to Mom he went. I was so grateful for the love of that little child to make me feel better about my biker's comment. I gotta say it was very humbling, and I felt horrible for quite a few days later. But, that cute little toddler definately made up for the hurt I was feeling right at that moment when I needed it most!
