For Maria Martinez, the future of work has never looked particularly bright. In most ofher 25 years as a dishwasher at a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Southern California, she had never gotten a raise beyond the minimum wage hikes mandated by the government. Before the pandemic hit, there were three people helping with her shift. Now, it’s often just her. Martinez keeps asking her bosses for help — business at the hotel has picked back up again — but for the moment, they’re not really budging.
They’re everywhere you look — pinkies intertwined on a playground, trusting handshakes, loving vows.
Most, if not all, of our collaborative efforts and therefore most of our major successes as a species have come to fruition because of the promises we make to one another.
While we may not think much of them at first, each kept promise throughout history has acted as a brick of trust in the greater relationship we have built as humans. Just the same, broken promises are behind some of the most painful experiences known, from heartbreak to war.
