Disclaimer: I've been a janitor for several years now, working for my dad's company, and have cleaned countless accounts and local businesses. My family has cleaned since I can remember and we make a good team. I have personally experienced the humiliation of others looking down on me for this, but recently, someone made a demeaning comment towards cleaning people loud enough for my brother to hear as he was emptying trash cans and it hurt. I wasn't at all surprised at what she said, because it's typical, But this week, I decided to write about it and write what it's like to be on the receiving end of snobbish glares, because it's wrong.
To the one who looks down on me because I'm a janitor,
You may consider me beneath you, you may consider me worthless. To you, I may be "just" a janitor. But to me, I am simply earning a living.
Why do you feel the need to throw around insults at my job title? Remember, I'm still a person. I may not wear dress pants with my hair curled to work each day like you, but I wear a good work ethic in my heart and I find that beautiful.
What happened to treating people equally? What happened to treating people as individuals? What happened to kindness, because it's been replaced with demeaning glares and humiliating comments loud enough for me to hear. When you turn and mockingly tell your daughter that she ought to be thankful she doesn't have to be a janitor loud enough for me to hear, I want to cry. But I do not cry, because I should be used to it by now. I'm used to be treated poorly because I'm emptying the trash can you threw your half-full Starbucks cup into.
I'm a janitor and I work behind the scenes, I don't call attention to myself. I do this to help my family, not because this is my dream job. I'm discouraged by your refusal to smile at me when I smile at you. But again, I guess I shouldn't expect anything different. I'm used to it.
I urge you the next time you see a janitor, go out of your way to say hello to them. Ask how they are doing, compliment the quality of their work, simply smile at them, and I promise it will make their day. Janitors aren't your servants, but remember while you are out for girls' night celebrating with drinks, I'm up late scrubbing floors. I am not below you. No one is below you, we are all human beings, not defined by what profession, but the content of our character.
Being a janitor has taught me that no matter what, you treat a cleaning person the same way you would treat the CEO of a company, showing utmost respect to both.
Sincerely,
The Janitor
