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By Mary Margaret Ambler |
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As I was walking by a table carrying a tray with full bowls of hot soup, a guest made an unanticipated gesture with his arm and hit me. Miraculously, I spilled only a few drops. He and his associates remarked casually what a great save I had made, then went right back to their discussion, as though nothing unusual had occurred. Not surprisingly, they tipped me a gracious 12%. Most guests are oblivious to the amount of grace and poise serving requires. |
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Guests have no idea the amazing amount of balance it takes to be a server. Daily, I balance trays full of steaming soup, top-heavy martini shells, and tons of hot food while weaving through a veritable obstacle course of other servers, bussers, guests, chairs pulled out of place, and children running amuck. There are times I feel like a combination of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Maurice Greene, Lance Armstrong and Shannon Miller with a little Chris Rock thrown in. |
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Even though black and whites are opposites, they balance each other. Without the contrasts, there would be no middle ground, no gray area so to speak. Without liberal and conservative, there would be no moderate. Without spicy and bland, there would be no flavorful. Without Cabernet and Chardonnay, there would be no White Zinfandel. Without sales and servers, there would be no need for production and the line. There’s nothing like watching the organized chaos of the line on a busy Saturday night. It is mesmerizing and beautiful when well executed. We need contrasts and we need balance.
I also have a daily struggle to balance my personal, financial, physical and family life with my profession. We have all had those days when the last thing you feel like doing is going to work and being pleasant to ungrateful customers when real life or a hangover is consuming you. It takes incredible focus and concentration to put all of these issues aside, don your smile, and go on with the show. And it’s all |
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for the sake of sometimes ungrateful, mostly oblivious guests.
But I have also enjoyed the experience of forcing my smile until it actually changed my mood. There is scientific proof that smiling releases hormones that affects ones’ attitude. The opposite is also true: I have experienced the nuclear blast shift where nothing went right and at the end, I felt like I was hit by a semi-truck. Fortunately, those shifts are few, adult beverages abound and there are always other servers ready and willing to commiserate. And the sun always rises on a new day.
If those shifts become a regular event, find another restaurant or profession. Take a vacation. Follow a dream. Because life is just too short to feel like someone used 60-grit sandpaper on your ass. Whether you are in school, balancing a family, or a lifer, I hope Black & Whites helps you find a balance.
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