Is it ever worth it?

I remember when I first started my job in retail about what I would be able to do. I thought I might be able to stand up for myself but I know plenty of times when my job got to me because I let it. And sometimes, that wasn't hard to do. I saw the bad side of some people and one rude person seems to have more power than 10 kinds ones. I couldn't help but think if I was seen as the idiot behind the counter. The disappointing thing was if I tried to stand up for myself against a rude person, I could get in trouble for it. So much for what I thought I could learn but that is one of the few things that kept me going at a dead end job for over a year; what I could learn from it. I did learn a great deal though. Time management and making a budget are two. I have also seen how that company treats its best workers, not only because I am one but all the supervisors I have had who decide to stick with their job as long as they can. The one who got me the job was rewarded with a brand new store recently because of his great work with the one I currently work at. He tried going for a raise too but he didn't get it. This company is 10 million dollar company and they didn't give him a raise, although it was very much needed? The worst thing is that I know for all the work these managers put in, their paychecks are so bad they can't even make ends meet and some have to get a second job somewhere else.
When I first started, some coworkers of mine warned me to not become a puppet and I have wondered if they were right. I think they were. This company just uses its employees. They restrict the man hours each store can get which means employees don't get many hours at all. I have also seen many people quit, because it is just not worth their while to stay with a job that is so demanding and then have a paycheck that won't carry the weight it's supposed to. I refer to that as a job that is not doing its job to standards. The company cares more about making a profit than seeing if their employees are treated as they should with the work that is expected of them. The good news is that I have found an outlet for my frustrations. I have joined the local writer's association and I am writing an ebook about how to cope with a job like this one. When you have been in a bad situation and you have learned how to cope and stay strong, then you absolutely know that there is something better. I can just feel that there is another phase coming into my life, I just have to keep going. I know that whatever happens in my life, I will be a voice for people who work hard to make a living. My mom is one and so were my grandparents and great grandparents. Hard work should provide for your life, not drain it away.