I Used to Be a Waitress

I used to be a waitress....that's a phrase Jamie and I jokingly use when we are trying to carry a bunch of stuff in one trip. I think I once said that and then dropped and broke everything I was carrying, so now it's a running joke. However, I really did used to be a waitress. During my college days, there was a place called Finale Dessert Cafe in the Keystone area. They served all kinds of desserts and coffee drinks. It was a really neat little place. 

Always making me laugh!

 I was a customer there, and found out they were hiring. I ended up working there for several months during college. If you've ever waited tables you know that it is hard on many levels. This cafe had a capacity of about 80 I believe, so it was fairly small, but it was usually full. It was a popular place. One of the things I found difficult about waiting tables was the initial approach. You are walking up to a group of strangers who are unpredictable, and that's intimidating. Add a physical disability on top of that, you get some looks, and some people that weren't always nice. Waiting tables, is also very physically demanding. I'm not really sure why I thought that waiting tables would be a good fit for me, but there I was. I would usually get there around 4, and didn't really stop moving until 10 or 11 when they closed. It was truly exhausting! 

There are a couple of experiences from that time that are burned into my brain. Part of my job was decorating the dessert plates before they were presented to the customer. That was fun making designs and making the plates look beautiful around the yummy desserts. I had decorated two plates for a table of  two women who I was waiting on. I was proudly carrying them to their table, but when I got next to their table, I tripped and fell. Their plates went flying, and it was just a huge mess, not to mention completely humiliating for me. They were very nice about it, and the owner promptly fixed two new plates and brought them out while I cleaned up my mess. I'm pretty sure I was fighting back tears while doing so. I tried to steer clear except to quickly check on them, and let them know there would be no charge due to the mishap. After they left, I went to clean the table and they had left me a $20 tip, and a note telling me that they appreciated my service to them. Pretty sure that made me cry again haha! 

Another memory that sticks out is a time when the other waiter that was scheduled to work with me one night didn't show up. It was a Thursday evening, and I knew it would be very busy. The cafe was owned by a couple, who so graciously gave me a chance at this job. The husband was working that night, as one of them was usually there. He said, "you think you can handle the whole place on your own tonight?" He also said, "I think you can, and I will help you as I can", but he was busy making the coffees and plating the desserts. I had to decorate the plates, serve all the items to the tables, keep drinks refilled, and clean the tables.  I hesitantly said, "I will do my best!" Sure enough, it was packed, so we were also manning the wait list along with our other duties. That went on for several hours. At the end of the evening, he handed all the tips over to me, and said he was so proud of me for taking that on. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. As I hobbled to my car, about to collapse, I think I was pretty proud of me too, and about $100 richer which was a nice chunk of change for a college student! 

College days/my college roomie and longtime friend

My point in sharing this story, is to encourage you, and remind myself that it's when we push ourselves outside of our comfort zones that we grow and learn the most about ourselves. I don't know really why I took on that experience. I had been a hostess at another restaurant which was an experience in itself.  I think I just wanted a change, and thought it would be a fun place to work. I was right, it was a fun place to work, and I met a lot of awesome people who were my coworkers, not to mention the owners who were so kind to me. They took a chance on me, even though they probably had some doubts in the beginning if I would physically be able to handle the demands of waitressing. It was an experience that I'd say I definitely walked humbly courageously into, but I learned a lot about pushing myself beyond my limits. I will always have a special place in my heart for the Finale Dessert Cafe!