u/likeguitarsolo

I’ve worked strictly in restaurants and bars for the past twenty years, since I was 15.

The first shock I felt on shift today was how slow all my new coworkers are. They dragged their feet around and chatted with each other while I was zipping around the store and behind the counter with a speed that wouldn’t surprise anyone in this sub, but that honestly seemed to unsettle everyone. Even customers. I’m realizing that the shock I’m feeling shouldn’t be that everyone else is slow, but that I’ve had to spend my entire adult life rushing so fast over such trivial shit.

There’s an Anthony Bourdain quote I butcher in my head a lot about working the line that I’ve always thought translates well for bartenders too, something like: “we’re frustrated by regular society because we don’t understand why the world can’t run as smoothly as our kitchens”. I think about this every time I go anywhere that isn’t a bar or restaurant, anywhere I have to wait in line for longer than it takes me to greet, serve and charge a large group of new customers.

It’ll be a huge learning curve to figure out how to let myself move slowly. It’s just not in my bones. It’s crazy how fast and efficient we’re expected (required) to be over food and drinks while the entire rest of the world gets to drag their feet.

Tomorrow I get a half-hour lunch break. And two tens. All of them mandatory. Soon I’ll have accrued one paid sick day. Health insurance after a month. Who knew you could get paid to go on vacation? Every day’s gonna be a whole new shock.