Barback's Log; Stardate 312344.9353
Acting Barback: This Joe, right here
Acting Barback: This Joe, right here
Month and a half of working doubles with no days off and I still haven't found my breaking point. The staff at both jobs are beginning to think I don't have one; but I know the secret. All you have to do is enjoy the tiny moments.
Like the other night, it was about 1:30am and the bar was just about closed. I'm doing the usual rounds when I see this older couple sitting in the corner, and realize they'd been there all night. I walk over to let them know it's last call but they've been nursing the same beer and glass of wine for three hours. Somehow, I don't really know how, we got to talking. Nothing complicated, nothing political, or deep...but just...simple talk. A lot of people don't know what simple talk is and I guess you kinda have to be brought up around "Roots" to really get it.
I'm an eastern shore boy, my super great grand parents were some of the few that tried to settle Assateague, and their kids owned a farm. They used to take all the crop up and down the east coast in sloops, they actually named a place "Watermelon Hill" after one of my family members because he always had two full boats of watermelon. Then my grandfather was Frank Perdue's right hand man. Yep, the Frank Perdue of Perdue chicken, so he was around the farms a LOT. That means my mom was too. Anyway, all that boils down to the fact that I picked up more than a fair share of redneckness. (Seriously, guys, you HAVE to try cow-tipping just once).
Anyway I fell into conversation with these two elderly people and you know what? I had a damn good time. The man was at the third baseball world series! The THIRD one. And she was a flapper on the military bases in WWII, one of those real classy pin-up type girls in her prime. I looked at them when they were laughing between themselves. He still had a full head of hair, mostly black with stripes of gray. His knuckles were swollen and callused, and his fingers were stained with engine grease. But he took a lot of pride in how he dressed, banana republic clothes, and the jewelry he wore sparkled like he'd just polished it. She was obviously past that glitzy prime she adored in her past. Her hair was thinning, and she took great pains to try and conceal that fact. Indents in the bridge of her nose told of glasses she'd left at home so they wouldn't take away from her looks any more. Denchers as well, she probably smoked when she was younger; a glance at the two yellower spots on her first and second finger confirm that.
They really and truly enjoyed each others company which is something you don't see too often these days. I found them fun and fascinating to listen to, they had so many stories. Lol, I probably looked like a little five year old kid with big goopy brown eyes and that enthralled look on my face. I wound up driving them back to their apartment so they didn't have to drive at night. In return they promised they'd come have breakfast at my other job, we talked then too. But on the way back I played my 40's swing music I love so much. They had so much fun singing and rocking in the back seat of my car. It was great to find something a guy my age and people their age could both connect to. Of course old blue eyes was everyone's favorite, but who doesn't like him anyway?
I dunno. Maybe I don't have a breaking point like everyone says. But you know what? Enjoy the tiniest moments in your life and you'll never break down. Enjoy the sunset, or laugh at the way the dumb ass seagulls fight over a crab; that's trying to pinch the shit out of everything that touches it.
You get out, what you put into life. Go 100% all of the time and you'll get it all back, I can vouch for that.
Like the other night, it was about 1:30am and the bar was just about closed. I'm doing the usual rounds when I see this older couple sitting in the corner, and realize they'd been there all night. I walk over to let them know it's last call but they've been nursing the same beer and glass of wine for three hours. Somehow, I don't really know how, we got to talking. Nothing complicated, nothing political, or deep...but just...simple talk. A lot of people don't know what simple talk is and I guess you kinda have to be brought up around "Roots" to really get it.
I'm an eastern shore boy, my super great grand parents were some of the few that tried to settle Assateague, and their kids owned a farm. They used to take all the crop up and down the east coast in sloops, they actually named a place "Watermelon Hill" after one of my family members because he always had two full boats of watermelon. Then my grandfather was Frank Perdue's right hand man. Yep, the Frank Perdue of Perdue chicken, so he was around the farms a LOT. That means my mom was too. Anyway, all that boils down to the fact that I picked up more than a fair share of redneckness. (Seriously, guys, you HAVE to try cow-tipping just once).
Anyway I fell into conversation with these two elderly people and you know what? I had a damn good time. The man was at the third baseball world series! The THIRD one. And she was a flapper on the military bases in WWII, one of those real classy pin-up type girls in her prime. I looked at them when they were laughing between themselves. He still had a full head of hair, mostly black with stripes of gray. His knuckles were swollen and callused, and his fingers were stained with engine grease. But he took a lot of pride in how he dressed, banana republic clothes, and the jewelry he wore sparkled like he'd just polished it. She was obviously past that glitzy prime she adored in her past. Her hair was thinning, and she took great pains to try and conceal that fact. Indents in the bridge of her nose told of glasses she'd left at home so they wouldn't take away from her looks any more. Denchers as well, she probably smoked when she was younger; a glance at the two yellower spots on her first and second finger confirm that.
They really and truly enjoyed each others company which is something you don't see too often these days. I found them fun and fascinating to listen to, they had so many stories. Lol, I probably looked like a little five year old kid with big goopy brown eyes and that enthralled look on my face. I wound up driving them back to their apartment so they didn't have to drive at night. In return they promised they'd come have breakfast at my other job, we talked then too. But on the way back I played my 40's swing music I love so much. They had so much fun singing and rocking in the back seat of my car. It was great to find something a guy my age and people their age could both connect to. Of course old blue eyes was everyone's favorite, but who doesn't like him anyway?
I dunno. Maybe I don't have a breaking point like everyone says. But you know what? Enjoy the tiniest moments in your life and you'll never break down. Enjoy the sunset, or laugh at the way the dumb ass seagulls fight over a crab; that's trying to pinch the shit out of everything that touches it.
You get out, what you put into life. Go 100% all of the time and you'll get it all back, I can vouch for that.