Kids That Are Ashamed of Dad

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Garbage truck emptying dumpsters. Cars behind it were impatient.

But what if daddy is a garbage man?

Friday is a fun day at work because everybody is up-beat. There’s music in the air, to borrow lyrics from Letta Mbulu, the renowned singer songwriter from South Africa.

Nobody sings as such, but there is a carnival vibe in most offices and lots of food. Someone brings doughnuts in the morning or one department orders pizza. There are lots of inter-desk visits about the planned weekend. Sometimes kids drop in to get a ride from mum or dad. I envy kids I read about, where Junior becomes the general manager after his father.

It’s only natural that kids that grew up sitting in daddy’s office chair end up with the “I’m in charge” mentality. Corporate Canada and corporate America have Fridays called, bring your kid to work. It must be inspiring if your mother is an investment banker and dad is the producer of a daily television show where famous politicians and comedians are the order of the day. 

Like most shopping malls in north America, the local mall has a banking mall, shops, a drugstore and office towers. Before the pandemic, it was not surprising to see office workers with their kids, during bring your kid to work Fridays. One day, I saw a boy with the mall-cleaner who has been there for some years. He just stood there, while his dad buffed the escalator. His face was blank, no emotion. I just hope he was not mad at his dad for being a janitor. He is doing it for him, so that he stays in school, graduate and get a job as an investment banker. Better still, start his own investment company.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Blogger Without Borders

 

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