Well it has been a while my friends, and I may be a little rusty, but here goes...
As I noted before, I have begun moonlighting as waitress. I love food and love people so I thought it would be something I'm good at, and it turns out I'm pretty right. I didn't realize how many valuable lessons I would learn.
Previous to waitressing myself, I suppose I had many assumptions about who was serving my meals. I assumed that as a server, most people were either college students working through school, or people who hadn't gone on to higher education and simply enjoyed the value of a good days work. Well, I was wrong. There are several traditional aged college students working at the restaurant, but just about everyone else already has a degree, some in the process of obtaining a master's, a few who already have a master's. I have quickly learned that just as the economy has pinched my budget, for others it has meant working full time as a server because good jobs are hard to find.
The people I work with are amazing, some down right brilliant. Many have travelled across the globe on various pursuits, others have incredible life stories. The people I work with are complete, whole, interesting and complex people just as I am. I have quickly learned though that when serving, the customer's rarely think about the complex person who is delivering their dessert.
I think through other posts, many of you will have figured out that I'm a pretty outgoing person, I love being around others and adore a little spotlight attention. Well, I have never felt invisible before, but as a server, one often does. Yes, many customers are very nice, several are regulars who have come to know the servers, but most barely look us in the eye. I don't expect to be discussing the meaning of life at work, I realize that at this second job, my function is to serve food and do it well, but am I not still the complex person I was before I put on the apron?
I look around at my coworkers, and feel sad that other's aren't taking the time to get know or even consider these amazing people as whole people! I charge all of you to think about it the next time you're out, Of course I wouldn't expect you to ask your server to sit down and join you, but remember...you just may be being served your seafood pomodoro by a warrior princess who is plotting to save the world!
6 comments:
Gee, this was an interesting post. I guess I had the same false assumptions.
I am reminded of a story about a Rabbi, who told his students to take care and realize that ALL men are created in the image of G-d. (Of course the evil people in the world sully that image, but that is not my point.)
One Rabi, riding on a train on a hot day, passed the train's cook-room, and comented to the cook, "You must be so hot today!"
The cook started swearing..."By G-d, you are the only person in _____ years that I have worked here, who thought about the fact that I am HOT!"
So a smile to the postman, newspaper seller, the elevator man, bus driver... whoever you meet today... deserves a smile and maybe a good word.
Well said, love the story, and it's all very true. No person is more valuable than another regardless of occupation or social standing and we are all created in God's image, so we should share our love with all!
Great post....Kudos to you! Glad you are enjoying yourself also! People are amazing gifts to one another aren't they?
Absolutely Staphanie! I just hope people are always mindful that each interaction is with another human being.
Thank you for a well-written, thought-provoking entry on the necessity of looking at everyone we meet as 'another human being', a complex person who has a history of his or her own, and who can teach us a great deal - if we can take the time to look up from our soup and see the person right in front of us, that is!
Absolutely Maureen! We do tend to forget that everyone is someone!
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