The Moment It Became My Job

The other day, I was outside 7–11 and started arguing with the manager. I know you might think that sounds wild, but the people who know me understand something simple. I only argue about three things. Children. Women. People in need. One of those groups felt targeted, so the switch flipped.

It had been storming all day. Before the argument even started, I saw two people standing outside who asked me for money. They were clearly meth heads. I still had no regret about telling them, “I am not giving you money, but I will make sure you have dinner.” They said, “I just want a coffee.” I told both of them, “Get whatever you want.” The woman asked, “Are you sure?” I said, “Ma’am, go.” The man hesitated, so I encouraged him and told him I would take care of him.

As soon as they stepped inside, I heard the manager say, “No puedes entrar en mi tienda.” That means, “You cannot come in.” I heard her the first time, but I kept grabbing my drink. I planned to cover all the expenses they needed. She repeated herself, louder. The man walked back out, his face filled with frustration. Then she started muttering under her breath. She called him a “grifter.” She said “cochino” and “sucio,” both words that describe someone as dirty or filthy.

That is when I stepped in. I told her, “That is no way to speak to anyone. He is freezing and soaked. I told him to get what he wants. He is a paying customer.” Then I told her, “Deberías ser más amable.” That means she should be kinder. The moment she realized I understood her, she started apologizing over and over.

I paid for everything. As I stood at the register, the man looked at me and said, “That is so nice of you. My manager can be uptight and rude sometimes. What made you even respond to her?” My answer came out without hesitation. I said, “Because I am supposed to. That is my job.” He told me he never thought of it that way. I told him the truth. “We are all one missed paycheck away from being in that rain like they are. They cannot stand up for themselves at the moment. If I do not do it, who will?”

That moment changed something in me. It reframed how I see shaping the culture. We often say that culture cannot shape itself. It will not. And whenever it tries to bend in the wrong direction, we cannot allow that. We step in. We treat it as our job. Not because someone told us to. Because something inside us says, “This is the moment. Do it.”

I responded to her because I was supposed to. And that is the truth I carry now.