My severe lack of posts is utterly heartbreaking right now. That being said, I will say that I've been keeping busy this summer with learning how to waitress at a newly opened restaurant in my small country town...that is weirdly reminiscent of Radiator Springs. For some reason, I had always wanted to be a waitress. I never realized how truly sheltered my life had been. My first month has definitely been a crash course in people skills, time management, scheduling conflicts, money making (and saving), dealing with co-workers and getting a backbone while keeping sane with great doses of humility. Really, nothing can really bring a person down from their high heaven like food service.
Now, it's not terrible, but it's not a job I'm use to. I had never realized how hard waitresses and cooks work or how horrible their treatment can be from unassuming customers. I really feel guilty about all those times when I was a complete b*tch to the staff because they didn't come and serve me immediately or an order didn't come in right or it came late. Now seeing life from the other side, I wonder how I must have seemed to those people who were working their hardest to make me happy. I must have come off as a real self-entitled, spoiled brat.
While the humility has been a blessing in disguise to me and has opened up my eyes to the hard work of others, Cinderella like experiences of being kind have also begun to appear as well. Without going into too much detail, I had the misfortune of dealing with a rather hostile co-worker last week. There may have been several reasons behind her hostility and maybe they didn't have to do with me, but I could tell she did not want to be around me. Now, I should say, this co-worker is ten years younger than me and is also a minor, so why should I be worried about the opinion of a 17 year old? I'm not really, but it's difficult to work along side someone that you should be able to depend on and that you hope they can depend on you.
For two days, this co-worker refused to smile at me, talk to me, or say anything positive. It was very difficult for me, because I hate when I feel like I'm a disappointment or a liability. If this girl was angry about a scheduling conflict (which was probably the case) then I was sorry, but to refuse to be decent to someone after forty-eight hours is a little ridiculous. I really didn't know if I should bring it up to her or ask her about it or if that would make things worse. Then a couple of days ago, after a rather comical biker couple came through bringing a great deal of laughter to everyone, the clouds of hostility lifted and my co-worker was back to her typical charming self around me.
You can imagine my surprise at the immediate change I saw in my co-worker. I wasn't going to question it though! I'm not sure if it was a God thing or what, but I'm thankful that I never gave in to saying or doing anything that could have damaged my own good name at the restaurant. Were there times I wanted to snap back at her, that I wanted to complain about her to everyone, to tell her off and slander her behind her back? Sure, plenty of times. However, I would think instead, "I'm the adult, she's the child. She's having a bad day, let her deal with it in her way and let me deal with it in mine." Now, I haven't seen this co-worker since that day, but I am hoping that whatever silent issue she had with me is finally over.
Waitressing has been rewarding in many ways, such as making money and learning how to interact with all types of people. It certainly isn't something that I would want to do for the rest of my life. As for what I want to do with my life after the summertime...that's still up in the air. Maybe go back to school or get a better paying job, I'm just not sure right now. All I know is that right now, a good part of my day is spent gaining good life experience in dealing with people and dealing with myself.
