04/12/12

For the past four days of work I've been working as a server, mostly just to get the feel of things with the job if ever I should need to work as one during my actual employment. As a server, I'm instructed to be friendly and positive to make the customers feel welcome and readily open to buying more things. None of this should be particularly interesting as it happens at every restaurant and with everyone.

Usually when I see a group of people leaving the restaurant, I will tell them to have a good afternoon/morning/evening, and--more lately--to come see us again.  This is almost automatic, and I do this in more places than just my restaurant; I do it almost everywhere.

Near closing time tonight our last large table, one with about five or six people, was leaving. I crossed paths with this party as they were leaving and gave my friendly parting message, telling them to have a good night. An elderly gentleman, between 70 and 80, on an oxygen tank stopped me and said "Hey, why do you tell us to have a good evening? Some of us can't, I just lost my wife". I told him I was sorry, but I hoped the expression on my face said more than my generic words. "Something better to say", he continued, "is..." he trailed off. "Have a good day, young sir", he finally said as he patted me on the arm and walked off. His escort, a younger woman I assumed to be his daughter or other family member, looked back at me with an appreciative gesture.

The exchange initially came as a shock to me; but as I thought about it more and more, he was right. A great sadness came over me as I continued to chew what the man said. I don't really know what about his words hurt me so much, but they did.

As I was cleaning the table, the server who waited the particular table helped me with it. I told her about what the man had said, and asked her if the topic had come up during their dinner. She showed a bit of thespian shock and pity when I told her the story, but then told me--with the regular clientele, this stuff happens all the time. We then finished up the table and started closing for the night.