Working

Working, working, is making a physical or intellectual effort. One works ad honorem or for a wage. There's a first job that isn't taken into account and it's the one the baby does in order to be born, except in cases of a cesarean. Then he works to learn to speak, to walk, and everything he needs to become part of society. Once grown, he starts thinking about a job with a wage or a salary, that gives him economic independence. Not everyone starts at the same age.

In my own case, I started working very young, but I wasn't paid a wage because I worked at my mother's bread counter. At 23 I started working with a dentist, who had done his secondary schooling at a military school, he believed his assistant was a soldier and had to obey him, he tried to show me his superiority.

Until one day, (I was in my third year studying dentistry), while he was attending to a patient he says «I don't know what kind of professionals are going to come out of this university», he turns to me and asks me the most far-fetched anatomy question, I don't answer out of fear of getting it wrong, «you see, I told you». I look at him and tell him I can also ask you a question that you won't remember the answer to.

He looks at me, scorching me with his eyes, and says «and insolent too». The patient holds back his laughter but I noticed it. Go sterilize the instruments, I went to the back where the lab was.

When the patient left he came furious and told me «Don't let this lack of respect happen again, I'm not firing you because you're decent, very efficient and very responsible». There I answered him. You're right, so I consider myself fired, and since I fulfill my obligations I'll stay until you finish attending to patients, I'll set the instruments to sterilize as always, I'll say a polite goodbye, you'll pay me for the days I worked and you won't see me again.