Ok, so I actually have a cool work story this time. I was working Monday night in a room I’ve only worked in one other time, which was a scary thing because I didn’t know how to close correctly, but it turned out to be ok. So, generally on Monday’s people don’t want to eat mexican food. It’s like a law somewhere. Apparently, last Monday was ‘Everyone-Eat-Mexican-Food’ Day and I got new tables until about 10 o’clock; which is unheard of.
Now, let me set up for you my week so you can understand where I am in my head while serving these people. I have two college-credit term papers due this week (each worth 2/3 of my grade for the semester, I’m turning the second one in tomorrow), a test that determines whether or not I graduate (totally passed it today!), my father has a paralyzed diaphragm (he’s going to be fine), my great uncle Bill passed away along with the family dog (Freckle), I had a band concert on Wednesday, the ACT on Saturday (as well as work), and a band performance on Sunday. I’m totally fried when it comes to being not-stressed. I cleaned tables for 6.5 hours and there were two reasons it was worth it.
1.) I got paid. I got my 56$ paycheck and another 65$ in tips. 50 from my room and the other’s because I helped the bartender and patio waitresses. This was amazing, seeing that I have no money.
2.) I had another one of those tables that just touch you. I really do believe that magik is real, you just find it when you need it the most or you’re most open to seeing it. It’s not like fairy-magik, it’s things/people that catch your attention at the weirdest times. This table was one of them.
They were a couple that came in after the kitchen closed at about 9:45, which made me mad at them to start with because I can’t leave until they do. So, I bussed the whole room and folded silverware (which is really the servers job, but I’m awesome and I love the people I work with… And it gives me a chance to eat), and these people sipped margaritas and talked. After a while, everyone but them had left and I was cleaning my last table, secretly sending bad vibes at them and their margaritas, and they called me over.
The man apologized sincerely for coming in so late and promised to leave, and you could tell he meant it. So I told him it was no big deal, I had to clean my station anyway and that will take a while, they really didn’t need to rush (I was secretly convincing myself too). He thanked me and then asked me where I went to school, what grade I was in, and what I was going to do after. I told him I was going to a university to do a dual-major in French and Music Education and both he and his wife were over-joyed.
And let me just say, I love artistic people. The man was a minister and was once a music teacher, he and his wife spent months on the Seine river on their friends winery. We talked about Paris and music and they said they were very proud I was going into a well distinguished program and choosing to go to Graduate school and going into Music and French. They offered to take me with them, back to the winery, and I would be their interpreter. And you could tell that they were the best of friends too, they shared everything with each other; their joy, their travels, everything.
I eventually went back to cleaning, and the man came back in the kitchen when he and his wife were ready to leave, and gave me a two-dollar bill. He said he wanted to make sure I got something, and wished me good luck in the rest of my life.
I think good people are magikal. That couple really helped me get through the night, and they’ve helped me get through this week, simply because they were nice.
Moral of the story; just be nice.
Good luck with everything. You’ll make it through, and Christmas break will be better for it. Two points of clarification, because I can be a pain in the ass that way:
1. Magic is spelled with a c, not a k.
2. Most of the restaurants across St. Louis are closed on Mondays. In fact, most of the stages across St. Louis are dark on Mondays too. And bars closed. And bowling alleys closed. It’s a St. Louis thing—Monday is day off for the entertainment biz. And because the vast majority of restaurants are closed on Monday, I, for one, never would plan to go to a restaurant on Monday….I would assume Haci is closed that day too. So I don’t think it’s just your mexican restaurant.