For almost four years I worked in this wonderful family restaurant in my hometown. I started in the back washing dishes (and I'm proud to say I was incredibly good at it), moving up to prepping food before I left for college. When I came home the next summer I was taught to cook by an extremely patient man. And the summer after that I learned to waitress from a team of fantastic women whom I love dearly. My experiences in the restaurant tested my patience and changed my character over time. Working there helped to build me up into who I am today.
I learned how to not be afraid in a kitchen, how to talk to people confidently, and how to multitask. But most of what I learned applied more to my character than anything else.
I learned to be strong through anything because it will end. Every night the restaurant doors closed and we could breathe again. Every night it was over. It helped me realize that even though it won't necessarily happen that routinely, everything will pass in time. I can get through anything.
I learned to be patient with coworkers, diners, managers, everyone. I had absolutely no patience before I started there and having to be patient with people I was serving or when waiting on food on a busy night taught me to be kind and empathize instead of getting impatient and upset and this transferred into my everyday life.
I learned that being kind toward others takes practice. Not everyone is nice to you, especially customers, but they still deserve respect and kindness even if they don't understand how to give it back. But I also learned that being kind can only get you so far. I learned that you have to stand up for yourself or you can get squashed in the chaos of restaurant life.
I learned to have a backbone and when to assert myself. If you don't have a backbone when dealing with rude people it can break you down over time and you can't let other people's actions break you apart. Knowing when to assert yourself can also be the difference between making your managers angry or earning their respect. Not every issue is worth fighting over.
I also learned to make fun in any situation. The wonderful women I worked with taught me this. It can be hard to get through the day, and impossible if you have a bad attitude all through it. But if you can laugh it off and enjoy your company it becomes more than manageable to get through the work day. Having fun changes you from working with coworkers to working in the company of lifelong friends.
Restaurant life is tough but when you work with incredible people it's so worth it.The bonds I formed there can't ever be broken; these people changed my life. When I go home to visit family that includes my restaurant family. I miss the homemade pie and meatball subs. But mostly I miss the atmosphere of fun and love.
Quick shout out to Stoney, Laura, Karen, Molly, Brandy, Emily, Heidi, Rachel, Kayla, Debbie, Pam, Tammy, Jill, Kelsey, Mary, Jon, Suzanne, Ron, Kyle, Kim, Joel, Kay, and Dave. Many of us have moved on to other jobs but never from the family.
