Hello You,
I started this program, Storyworth. They send you a question a week, you can answer as many or as little, as slow or as fast as you’d like. At the end of the year, they compile all the questions into a book. A book of your tales. So here goes nothing…Question 1…How did you get your first job?
Almost two weeks late, but actually there really isn’t a better day to write this first story. It’s 6:30am, I just woke up, having a delicious cup of coffee, and listening to B start to get the equipment ready for all of us to go fishing. Me for the first time, but for them this is quite a regular family outing. We went to Bass Pro Shop last night, B’s version of Toys R Us, and he got all stocked up on the necessary items and maybe a few extras that he thought we needed. He’ll soon be on his way to go get us some bait! But not before I fix him a quick cup of coffee for the road. Be right back…
Why is this the perfect moment tell you this story? My first job was through a friend of my mothers who she played tennis with, Pete. Pete owned this very small, local, bait & tackle shop, in the town next to us growing up. He also owned a little breakfast and lunch place right next to it, Pete’s on the Bay, when if you say it real fast it sounds like pizza on the bay. It was where a lot of fisherman would go fuel up before heading out for the day. Is there a better way to start than some good ol New Jersey diner food? Mmmmm, I can still smell the coffee as you walked in the door. Well, Pete decided to expand his business and open up a more “formal” restaurant upstairs, Fishtales. Where he would offer an amazing view of the harbor, a casual lunch, and an elegant dinner. Ok, so elegant may be a bit of an over statement but it wasn’t the diner food that you were accustomed to from him.
He had hired this chef, J, J, a little rough a round the edges, but you wouldn’t have believed it with the food he created. Every dish was homemade, from the smashed potatoes, to the eggplant fries with drawn butter and parmesan cheese, to the cocktail sauce. Before working there I never ate fish, didn’t like it, so needless to say trying to sell fish to guests was a little nerve racking. But after one bite of J’s popcorn shrimp, I knew it wasn’t going to be a problem.
I was sixteen, almost seventeen, young, and looking to save money for college. I started as a runner then eventually became a server. I had to get my abc card so I could serve underage. The team we had, was a family. We laughed, we cried, we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off some nights. We stood by each other; if there was a guest unhappy, with the timing or the food (a very rare occurrence) no one let you take the heat for it. It was one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever had.
I remember one night, the kitchen was backed up, the food was coming out later than people would have liked, and this 10 top came in minutes before closing. When the burgers that they ordered, well done I’ll add, didn’t get to them within a few minutes of sitting down they started in with the rudeness. It had already been a long day. And was the final straw for me. I walked away after keeping my composure at the table, into the kitchen where I broke down in tears, trying to tell J that they were not happy that they hadn’t gotten their food yet. I couldn’t even get the words out of my mouth, before tears started to fall. He just stared at me. Said there’s no crying in my kitchen, and I ran out to the stairwell that you’d typically find us smoking in on break. He saw this and immediately went after me. Stood there and hugged me. Before I knew it he was walking out the door and said, “I’ll handle that table. Wipe your eyes and get ready to bring them their food.” Someone always had your back. Sure there was drama and shenanigans, but it was one of the best Summers I ever had. I worked doubles every weekend, I just wanted to be there. With my other “family.” It probably didn’t help that I had a huge crush on J. He was 33 and a “bad boy” as they say. Did I dream about dating him, every night! But Alicia Silverstone said in Clueless, “as if?!”
xoxo
Letters to You 