Title: BASHIR
'Be proud of a dignified job!'
I often hear this phrase, a reminder that we shouldn't be ashamed of having clean and good means to earn a living. A good and dignified job is a symbol of self-respect. It makes other people view us with high regard.
But when can one consider a job dignified or worthy of respect? Is it enough that you don't steal? Does simply having a decent job make one deserving of other people's respect?
I was in search for answers until I met a friend named Bashir.
I work in an ice cream parlor in one of the cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Surrounded with large infrastractures and gigantic landmarks, this city seems like an open museum. The roads are clean and grasses are neatly mowed. Behind the noticeable beauty of the city are the people who keep it in good shape. With a dustpan on one hand and a broom on another, these hardworking men are stationed throughout the city to clear its roads of litter. One of them is Bashir.
Like almost everyone else, my work starts in the morning. Yes, my ice cream parlor opens in the morning. With a temperature here that rises over 45 degrees especially during summer, it's no surprise to find the locals buying ice cream for breakfast. Bashir is not among my regular customers, but I see him every afternoon passing by my shop. He'd wave his hand, salute at me like a soldier and give a warm smile. Then I'd smile back.
Every other day, just few minutes before the shop closes, Bashir comes rushing and asks to have a larger bill denomination for the sum of the smaller ones bundled in his pocket. I used to wonder where he gets the money from. Is this man just lucky to find a 1 or 5 riyal bills from a pile of garbage? I wanted to ask, but I'm always hesitant.
While I was busy at work one friday afternoon, I glanced at Bashir standing outside of the shop. It seemed like he was waiting for someone. From the glass window I saw a customer from another store who stopped before him and handed him a 1 riyal bill. I was a bit surprised. But what was even more surprising was when I saw most of my customers, after leaving my shop, approach him and give him money and food. I thought of it as an insult to the poor fellow. This man is not begging for money. He earns monthly. He's got a job!
When I was about to close the shop the next day, he came and asked to have his money changed. Thinking it was a good chance, I braved to ask: "Why do you accept money from people?". His response tore my heart.
I came to know that Bashir is from a country where progress is slow...where a single riyal is 20x worth their local currency. Like most of us working here, he left his country to provide for his family. But the hope of getting a good-paying job did not turn out well. He was promised a 1,200 riyal salary as a street sweeper but ended up getting only 300 riyals per month. He works everyday for 9 hours under the heat of the sun. Giving up once crossed his mind, but a co-worker taught him how to earn extra. Beg. This meant losing his self-respect but he has no choice.
While doing his job, he goes to where the people are. Unlike the beggars we see in the streets, he doesn't reach out his hand to ask. He just stands patiently and wait to get noticed. He receives 1 or 5 riyals or even food sometimes. He saves the money until he has enough to change it to a larger bill. He makes it a point that nobody sees him receiving a hundred bill because he is afraid that people might stop giving him money.
I asked him how he is able to take all these. One may think that half of what he earns is out of pity.
He uttered, "If losing respect for oneself brings food to one's table, I would be willing to give up mine. I wish I have more of that respect so I'll have more to lose in exchange for money...and my family and I will never be hungry."
For a job to be reputable, it should not just rest on what the society dictates as decent. The passion you put in your job and to whom you dedicate your hardwork to should also count. We often complain about our salary or how mean our boss or how bad our workplace is. But for somebody like Bashir, these things don't matter. For him every riyal counts, everybody is his boss and this busy city is his workplace.
We don't live in a perfect and fair world. If you easily give up, you get nothing. If you choose to fight, you can possibly win. Fate does not seem to favor Bashir, but he's not giving up. Begging is below his dignity but he continues to fight. He doesn't cheat. He compensates every riyal with hard work.
He has my respect.
-Ronald Arias
