Saturday, May 28, 2005
Working
Waitressing (or Waitering, or Waitin' Tables), is a way to make money every day of the week that you hold in your hand and take home with you right then. Therefore, it attracts a certain type of person. Or, rather, several types, which I will list here:
The Student
The Drunk or Drugged
The Lifer
The Artist
The Unlucky One
The student does not care about waitressing particularly. Waitressing is a job that provides them with money to shop at Abercrombie, helps pay tuition until they go on to a 'real' career, or otherwise supplements them on their path to a brighter future. Therefore, the Student views the job as a 'fun' thing to do while in school, they go out with their restaurant friends after work because, even though they don't get off work until midnight, that's when all the fun starts anyway!
The Drunk or Drugged are people who will be hired, show up for perhaps two shifts, collect whatever tip money they can, blow it on the mindbender of their choice, and will never be seen again, except as they walk around whatever scary, economically-depressed neighborhood is nearest the restaurants they are routinely hired to and fired from.
The Lifer is a special breed. The Lifer can come in two forms; those who could have done something else, and those who have reached the zenith of their potential. Not that there's anything wrong with waitressing, but some people get bitter with time. Lifers smoke a lot. All of them.
The Artist is allowed to be older than the student. They are also allowed to waitress for the better part of their adult lives without becoming Lifers.
The Unlucky one is someone who had an actual career, white collar, in an office, and then either messed it all up or got downsized.
If you are lucky enough to get a job waitressing, it's fun to decide which one of these categories you fit into. Go ahead, pick one!
The Student
The Drunk or Drugged
The Lifer
The Artist
The Unlucky One
The student does not care about waitressing particularly. Waitressing is a job that provides them with money to shop at Abercrombie, helps pay tuition until they go on to a 'real' career, or otherwise supplements them on their path to a brighter future. Therefore, the Student views the job as a 'fun' thing to do while in school, they go out with their restaurant friends after work because, even though they don't get off work until midnight, that's when all the fun starts anyway!
The Drunk or Drugged are people who will be hired, show up for perhaps two shifts, collect whatever tip money they can, blow it on the mindbender of their choice, and will never be seen again, except as they walk around whatever scary, economically-depressed neighborhood is nearest the restaurants they are routinely hired to and fired from.
The Lifer is a special breed. The Lifer can come in two forms; those who could have done something else, and those who have reached the zenith of their potential. Not that there's anything wrong with waitressing, but some people get bitter with time. Lifers smoke a lot. All of them.
The Artist is allowed to be older than the student. They are also allowed to waitress for the better part of their adult lives without becoming Lifers.
The Unlucky one is someone who had an actual career, white collar, in an office, and then either messed it all up or got downsized.
If you are lucky enough to get a job waitressing, it's fun to decide which one of these categories you fit into. Go ahead, pick one!
