Seis de Mayo
This popped up on my Facebook memories yesterday, creating nostalgia and appreciation for this season of life.
Bartending. Man, it was fun! It served me so well! I got to play dress-up, smile, and serve! All things I love to do! I got to create a happy experience for my people! Then I got to close up, lock the door, take out the trash and go home with no responsibilities or worry.
I’d always thought bartending would be fun! I’d never been a bartender. Didn’t know a thing about it. But what I knew for sure was - I needed to GET OUT of my house and have some human interaction. I had been working from home as an inside sales rep for a sportswear company for many years. Eight hour days would go by, and while I did get to interact with fun people over the phone, it’s just not the same - as we all well know right now! After surviving a horrendous software change - and the most stressful summer of my life - I didn’t want to give that company another ounce of overtime. It did not bring me joy. So at 28 years old, I decided I wanted to be a bartender!
I called the country club, asking about the open position. I could tell the manager on the other end of the line was preoccupied and NOT comprehending my full “Shannon-ness”. I asked him when would be a good time for me to stop in. So I did. And yet, when I physically stopped in, he was again...preoccupied. While I waited for him to give me the time of day, I chatted it up with the people at the bar and when he finally turned around, that couple I was talking to said “Hire her! She’s good!”. And so began my bartending career.
How did it serve me?
I explored something new I’d never done. And more importantly, I gave myself permission to do so.
I needed something I could look forward to. Getting out of the house. Talking to people. Meeting new people. A job that I could clock in, be present, do it well and clock out and move on with no stress or added responsibility.
I LOVED my people. People that I’ll see around town every now and then who tell me, that sadly, they have not had a grasshopper in years because no one else makes them quite right! I’m totally going to take them all grasshoppers now!
I got to play dress-up, ride around on a golf cart on sunny Sundays, tan my legs, and serve people drinks.
I got to see my middle school English teacher who made an impact on SO MANY!
I laughed. I danced. I cleaned. I mopped. I had a kid. I quit my inside sales job and went to work part-time at the local electric company. And decided my time as a bartender was complete.
Has there been something in your gut that says to you, Wow! That would be fun! Or How awesome would that be? But you think it’s not attainable for you. Instead, you think, That’ll never work out!
Do it anyway. Everything is FIGUREOUTABLE.
If you suck at it - big effing deal.
You don’t have to think it all the way through. Do the thing.
What’s that thing for you?