Living in Eastport, Maine makes it hard to find summer jobs. There are not many businesses or opportunities. So, when I was hired as a waitress, I was very grateful and excited. I had babysat in the past, but had never had a real job. I didn't know what to expect. I was a shy person and didn't know how this would turn out. I was trained right before the 4th of July, which if you are from this area, you know that it is the busiest time of year for our city. The streets are swarmed with hundreds of people, and naturally after walking around for hours, they want to have a sit down meal. With only five places to eat in town we are slammed from open to close. It was hectic and at times, I thought about quitting, but I would be damned if I lost my job. After the fourth, it slowed down and I really started to love my job. The money was really good and I loved seeing the usual crew every day. To the women who come in for breakfast or the men that just come in to have a cup of coffee before they head off to work. The life of a waitress has its pros and cons. Some parts of my job I love and the others parts not so much. I'm going to give you a sneak peak of what goes through my mind while I'm at work.

We open around 4:30 in the morning for coffee and the kitchen opens at 6:00. If I am opening the restaurant, I should be in by 5:45. The first couple hours I am there, it is usually just the coffee drinkers, who watch the news and talk about the latest gossip. With coffee drinkers, they are likely to leave a dollar or less. Granted, it adds up, but can be discouraging. With day shifts, the meals are less expensive, so the tips are not as great. Although we are the only breakfast restaurant in Eastport, so we are always busy. The night shifts are slower, and sometimes we close early due to the lack of customers. The nights bring bigger tips because the dinner meals are more expensive. When it's really busy and we don't have time to eat, we think about taking a few fries off your plate. You won't notice, right? It's funny, but it's true. When you don't finish your meal and we are clearing your table we think, I'm sure it is fine to eat off their plate, although we never do. That would be wrong, right?

Since waitresses work for tips, we love when a big table comes in and we are hoping that you all want to order from our seafood menu and have a couple drinks. The more drinks the better! We love when you ask us our names, it makes us feel like you actually want to have a conversation. If we are having a busy night and you say "Please, take your time," that makes you the real MVP! Generous tippers make your night and you wish everyone was like them.

We get to keep all our tips, so our hourly pay isn't the greatest, but it evens out. Except for when the whole day, you've have about three tables and you have only made about fourteen dollars. Oh, and when someone says keep the change you are thinking...hell yeah, but when you do the math, they have left you about thirty cents. Then you have the tables that don't tip, after you have gone back to their table, gotten refills on drinks, and brought them everything they needed. You've taken time away from your customer that will actually tip you. Those customers put you in a funk. One thing that has gotten on my nerves is when people ask for change and then they leave the exact change you've given them as your tip. Why did you have me make change? You'll never understand why they do that. Then there are the customers who are in a bad mood and don't respect you. It only takes one bad customer to ruin your day. You just have to put on a face and pretend that it does not affect you, even though it does.

In the end, you just have to roll with the punches, you can't make everyone happy. I love working with the public and wouldn't change it for a second, although sometimes I may think about it. I am grateful to my boss for giving me a chance. It is not a bad summer job and it keeps you on your toes. Remember to always tip your waitress!