Is It Worth It All?

Everyone tries to avoid them...

You might say they are what life is made of...

We often try to manipulate them...

Some we like and some we don't...

Everything we do has them...

The trick is to foresee what they will be.

I’m talking, of course, about consequences. The word has a stigma surrounding it. Everyone things they’re always negative. But that’s not so. Sometimes they’re good. They’re simply what necessarily follows from a set of conditions. And the one thing that sets them apart is that once set in motion, we are helpless to stop them.

So, where am I heading with all this? This week I was on the dish crew for lunch…where we spend about 45 minutes washing dishes for the 200+ peeps here at school, as well as anything used to prepare the food, cleaning the entire kitchen from top to bottom. So anyhow, one of the guys on the crew foolishly made the comment that as a graduating senior, this was his last dish crew he would ever have to do.

Uh, oh.…My wheels started turning. And after covertly talking it over with my fellow dish crew members we decided that I, the possessor of the all-mighty dish hose (being in the prized position of M1), would soak him from head to foot.

Which I did. >smug grin<

I caught him just coming back from putting away a load of dishes. Unsuspectingly walking back to get more, I pinned him to the fridge with a spray of hot water until I got everything not protected by his puny plastic apron soaking wet. Ahh…the satisfying feeling of a great joke, well deserved, justly pulled, and brilliantly executed.

Until the dish crew leader comes over. Yeah, he’d seen it. Just rounded the corner when he was supposed to be busy in the back…oh well. So he comes over, with one thing to say, “If you do that again I’m going to have to fine you.” With feigned respect I say something to the effect of, “yes sir”. Inside I’m saying, “So? See if I care? A $10.00 fine may break me, being a poor college student, but noway it’s gonna stop me from soakin someone!”

Yes, I got a pitcher of water over the head a few minutes later. But he didn’t have anything to fear! He’s outta here in a few days! And I didn’t mind. I had my few moments of glory. I knew I might get caught. And I calculated my consequences. Yeah, they stacked up ok. I didn’t mind having to stay 15 minutes late polishing the stainless steel fridge from all the water streaks. That consequence was worth it.