Retired Waitress

After seven years of serving, I'm throwing in my apron. Last night was, I desperately hope, my last night ever waiting tables. To say the least, it was an epic final serving shift.

First of all, my friend Jessica brought me a big pink Princess pin to wear. Awesome.

I had a hit-or-miss section, and last night it was a hit. I had two fairly easy parties that I was able to grat. It was easy money, but I still managed to pull some silly waitress moments. The second party was a group of eighteen, celebrating a couple who just got married over the weekend. They were pushy and wanted everything to be just perfect. Naturally, I forgot to put in the groom's order...oops! I had to figure I would screw something up on my last table. This party was a bunch of finger-snappers too, who thought they deserved some kind of royal treatment. They were a great send-off for me.

Since the money was too easy, the restaurant had to do something to give me grief on my last shift. It just so happened to be a night before we bombed the restaurant for bugs, so we all had about an hour of extra cleaning to do. They wouldn't let me get out too easily.

After wiping windows and polishing one last rack of silverware, I triumphantly threw my apron away. As happy as I was to serve my last pizza, I was very sad to leave this restaurant. Since I didn't have family or friends here in Florida, this restaurant easily became a second home to me. The employees and managers became my Florida family. It became a place I could come cry to for help, which I did many times. It is a place that has given me lots of love and support, and I will truly miss it.

Serving is a job that I think everyone needs to experience. I've learned a lot from the different restaurants I've worked at. I've met many of my closest friends through this industry and I have incredible memories with these people. Serving is great money most of the time. I enjoyed it through high school and college, but since I've gotten my degree I just can't stand waiting tables and not getting any further with my writing career. This job is not for me anymore.

I've taken a vow to never wait tables again, but of course you can never really say never. My dream is to see my name on the cover of a book before I ever see it printed on another server check. And I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. I have to think of getting a book published like serving tables: no matter how hard or unbearable the table seems, you have to stick with it to the end. You might get a bad tip, but you have to keep going and take the next table. If it's not everything you hoped at the end of the night, at least you tried your hardest and never walked out.