I have worked at a fast food place for a little over a year, and in that time, I have seen a lot more than just the average Karen. I was promoted to manager at the ripe age of 17, I have worked at other stores, I have been exposed to different people, and I have made friends.  But working in the fast-food industry hasn’t always been easy–it is more than asking “Would you like nacho cheese with that?” or “Would you like to make that a meal today?” There are people you don’t want to work with, there are people who are so two-faced that it makes you sick, and there are people who think the world should be handed to them, and that’s just behind the counter. Here is what I’ve learned in a little over a year in the fast-food industry:

1. Sometimes, It Is Easier Just to Receive Information and Walk Away: There are two different people in this world–the people who think everything is going to be handed to them on a silver platter and the people who know it can’t be, and working in fast food, I see both of these people on a daily basis. Being a manager, I have had to handle complaints from both people. Sometimes, it is just better for all parties involved to listen and receive the information from the people who want the world handed to them, and then walk away from it. Solve the issue for the person, don’t fight them about who is wrong and who is right, and just walk away. It will make you the bigger person and the more mature person in the long run.
2. There is More to Life Than Just High School: The people I work with range from the age of teenagers to people who over-qualify for a senior discount. I have heard the warnings of getting married, I have heard the risk in cheating on your husband, I have heard the joys of having children and I have been educated about someone’s grandfather’s life after they died. Right now, as I can see my high school career come to an end, and as many of you see high school come to an end as well, it’s important to remember that there is more to life than just high school. We are going to go to college, meet the right person, have kids, move somewhere nice and new, have a fresh start. Some of us fail to see that life is more than this. There is so much more to life than just going to and graduating from high school.
3. High School Never Ends: In contrast to my previous lesson, I have learned that high school never really ends. I believe that Bowling for Soup captured this perfectly with their song “High School Never Ends.” There will always be best friends and bullies, people you love and people you hate. The things that happen in high school also happen outside of high school. People are cruel and mean and hateful. High school is just a bike with training wheels for the real world, and it never ends.
4. Karens are Lindas:  As everyone in the Customer Service industry and meme viewing community knows, there is a Karen problem. However, the Karen problem can be turned around. You will, at some point in your life, encounter a Karen and it will not be your favorite experience. What I’ve found is that if you give a Karen what they want, they can easily downgrade to a Linda. Do not fight her on whatever she wants, and treat her like you would a robber, minus the 911 call. Comply with her demands and you will find that deep down, all Karens are truly Lindas.
5. Life is a Juggling Act: Lastly, what I’ve learned from the fast-food industry is that life is a juggling act. You need to learn to balance work, school, and extracurricular activities and juggle them all, as a juggler has to equally time and balance all of the objects they are throwing into the air. Make time for the important and necessary things for you, and whatever you juggle in your life, do it well and with purpose.

Of all the things I have learned in fast food, the above lessons are the most important. If you simply take time to let life teach you what it is trying to, you can learn so much from each new experience you go through. There is always going to be some good in the bad, and there will always be some bad in the good. Tackle each day and task that is handed to you with an open mind that is ready to learn something from it, and you will go far in life.