Please and Thank You

 

Ever heard the words "Taken For Granted?"

According to McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs;

To take someone or something for granted means:
To expect someone or something to be always available to serve in some way without thanks or recognition; to value someone or something too lightly.
 

Now you must feel familiar with the condition. Ever been in one? I have.

I lived in a world where people always expect me to do something, to be something. I didn't know if they ever consider my own will and desire. Since I was a kid, I was expected to be the best in my class, to do the housework, to always give my brother the first place in every matter. But it wasn't that bad actually. I loved to do the first one, to be the best in my class. And still ok to do the second one. Since I was a kid I already realized that doing the  housework is  a way to learn one of many skill I'd need in my adult life.

But the third one, I hated that so much I couldn't understand why I had to do that. Why my brother could have so many privileges while I and my 2 sisters couldn't. Only because he's the only son in the family? Actually I don't remember many reasons of that, because even now, I refuse to accept it.

All that was expected of me, it was taken for granted. I did become the best in my class, I did that many of the housework I was expected to do,  and I always let my brother be/get the first of everything. Well the last one is not entirely true, sometimes I did fight for my right (what I thought was my right). But, what did I get in return? Not a single thank you. But I didn't know the term taken for granted yet. So I thought that was how things were, how things should be.

I wasn't born in some educational family. My father only finished his elementary school before he went to look for a job, and never had another formal education. My mother didn't even finish her elementary school because she had to give that privilege to her brother. So, whatever did happen in my little family, I'll always forgive my parent. There's always a reason I can accept, because they're not just good parent, they are a great parent. The way they raised us, they learned from their parents with some improvement according to their "not so educated" minds. But my mom insist that I had to have formal education as high as I can get, and I understand clearly why she did that.

Time flies, I grew up. Became the first in my class actually helped me a lot. To gain my confidence, to know my value in life, and of course TO SAY NO to the things I don't wanna do. I know that when I do something for someone, at least I should get a simple thank you. I got into a college, met new friends. But still, I found people who took me for granted. Well not just me, some other friends experienced these too. Finding these in a highly educated environment made me so mad. Then I decided not to do what was expected of me, at least for some work that professionally unrelated to me. To make them realized that everything I did for them should be appreciated. But I realized, that was not enough. I have to do it on my own, to build a culture where everybody's feeling appreciated. That time, it was only a dream.

When I got my first job, it's hard for me to find my work being appreciated. It's my job, I got paid fot that. And that was it. I fought hard to be known, to be appreciated, to show how valuable I am and my work. Years after, I got crews on my own. There's where I started to make my dream come true. To build a society where everybody feels appreciated. You know how I do that? In a very simple way, by always say please and thank you every time I deliver jobs to my crews, and thank you again whenever they deliver the result to me.