Today I woke up at 6:30. I was out the door before 7:30. I didn't get home until almost 11 tonight. I have been going on day. And I'm finally able to crawl into bed and sleep, but I can't. My mind is racing. I've had a lot on my mind recently. I really can't put it all into words, but tonight, I will try.
Some people ask me why I've kept my job at the restaurant I worked at during the summer. I tell them it's because of the money. And that's true. I am trying to make as much as I can before next semester because I won't be allowed to work. But the bigger reason is because it's pushes me out of my comfort zone. Until May, I had never "done life" with people outside my Christian bubble. I had never waited tables. I had absolutely no experience. And I've learned so much over the past couple months. It's been hard, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I'm introverted. I like my small group of friends. I hate talking to strangers. But at least twice a week, that's what I'm forced to do. Go up to a table of laughing friends and tell them about our specials. Get their complicated drink and food orders. Deliver it in a reasonable amount of time. Juggle 5 other tables. Smile. Fix mistakes that I didn't even make (or maybe I did..hey I'm not perfect). I've said it before and I will say it for the rest of my life, waiting tables will humble you like nothing else.
Tuesdays are pretty slow. I'm not suppose to work Tuesdays because of my involvement with RUF, but somehow I got scheduled. I had been running around ALL DAY. I didn't want to come into work. I knew I wouldn't make anything. I would waste my night standing around when I had a thousand other things to do. But I went. I smiled at my tables and explained to them what boom boom slaw was for the millionth time. My first tip wasn't even 10%. I got yelled at because a customer wanted something that wasn't on the menu (yes sir, I control what's on the menu....).
But then a table came in, a dad and his daughter. They ordered and when I came to refill their drinks, he asked me if I went to a particular church in town several years back. I replied no, I wasn't from the area. He then proceeds to ask me about college and my major and Charlotte. He took the time to talk to me. I'll probably never see him again, but he cared. Another woman asked me my name and complimented me on the service she received. One of the cooks "accidentally" made a couple extra shrimp, which ended up being my dinner.
And I realized, people will always surprise you. The people you think will be bad tippers, tip you 70%. The people you work with, that curse every other word, end up being some of the most genuine people in your life. And not just at work. The people in our every day life. The people you thought would be in your life forever, suddenly seem to slip into the dark. People you thought you lost forever, suddenly begin to reappear. The people who we thought would never hurt us, seem to hurt us the worst.
It really makes me take a step back and remember to not judge. I don't know one thing about the people who sit at my table, but I judge my tip based on what they are wearing, what they order, if they ask "is it free?" That's not to say that I don't treat everyone equally, because I do. I always give my 110% to every single customer, no matter what. But it's just interesting to see when my intuition is correct, and when it's not.
Anyways, these are just the midnight rambles of a sleep-deprived college girl. I hope it makes you think, because I've been doing a lot of that recently and it's part of the reason I have a blog. It allows me express my feelings to someone (maybe?) and it's really neat to be able to go all the way back to freshman year and relive those experience. I highly recommend that everyone journals, or even blogs, if they feel like it. It's really neat to see your thoughts come together. And it's even cooler when you find out that people experience the same feelings, emotions and daily life problems that you do.
With that, I'm going to crash. I have to be up in six hours :)
Some people ask me why I've kept my job at the restaurant I worked at during the summer. I tell them it's because of the money. And that's true. I am trying to make as much as I can before next semester because I won't be allowed to work. But the bigger reason is because it's pushes me out of my comfort zone. Until May, I had never "done life" with people outside my Christian bubble. I had never waited tables. I had absolutely no experience. And I've learned so much over the past couple months. It's been hard, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I'm introverted. I like my small group of friends. I hate talking to strangers. But at least twice a week, that's what I'm forced to do. Go up to a table of laughing friends and tell them about our specials. Get their complicated drink and food orders. Deliver it in a reasonable amount of time. Juggle 5 other tables. Smile. Fix mistakes that I didn't even make (or maybe I did..hey I'm not perfect). I've said it before and I will say it for the rest of my life, waiting tables will humble you like nothing else.
Tuesdays are pretty slow. I'm not suppose to work Tuesdays because of my involvement with RUF, but somehow I got scheduled. I had been running around ALL DAY. I didn't want to come into work. I knew I wouldn't make anything. I would waste my night standing around when I had a thousand other things to do. But I went. I smiled at my tables and explained to them what boom boom slaw was for the millionth time. My first tip wasn't even 10%. I got yelled at because a customer wanted something that wasn't on the menu (yes sir, I control what's on the menu....).
But then a table came in, a dad and his daughter. They ordered and when I came to refill their drinks, he asked me if I went to a particular church in town several years back. I replied no, I wasn't from the area. He then proceeds to ask me about college and my major and Charlotte. He took the time to talk to me. I'll probably never see him again, but he cared. Another woman asked me my name and complimented me on the service she received. One of the cooks "accidentally" made a couple extra shrimp, which ended up being my dinner.
And I realized, people will always surprise you. The people you think will be bad tippers, tip you 70%. The people you work with, that curse every other word, end up being some of the most genuine people in your life. And not just at work. The people in our every day life. The people you thought would be in your life forever, suddenly seem to slip into the dark. People you thought you lost forever, suddenly begin to reappear. The people who we thought would never hurt us, seem to hurt us the worst.
It really makes me take a step back and remember to not judge. I don't know one thing about the people who sit at my table, but I judge my tip based on what they are wearing, what they order, if they ask "is it free?" That's not to say that I don't treat everyone equally, because I do. I always give my 110% to every single customer, no matter what. But it's just interesting to see when my intuition is correct, and when it's not.
Anyways, these are just the midnight rambles of a sleep-deprived college girl. I hope it makes you think, because I've been doing a lot of that recently and it's part of the reason I have a blog. It allows me express my feelings to someone (maybe?) and it's really neat to be able to go all the way back to freshman year and relive those experience. I highly recommend that everyone journals, or even blogs, if they feel like it. It's really neat to see your thoughts come together. And it's even cooler when you find out that people experience the same feelings, emotions and daily life problems that you do.
With that, I'm going to crash. I have to be up in six hours :)
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