The grocery store right next to my workplace has a sandwich counter/prepared food area where I often buy lunch. Most of the food is already prepared, though you can get some grilled sandwiches made on the spot. The grilled sandwiches are the most complicated task for those working the counter. Otherwise, they simply hand you the prepared food and check you out.
There is one server, Seamus, who stands out from the rest. It almost seems as if he got lost on his way to the 5 star restaurant downtown. He greats you with a style and formality that one would expect from the most hospitable maitre d' at the most exclusive restaurant. If you ask what's in the club wrap, he runs through the ingredients as if he's describing the evening's specials. "Moist turkey breast, crisp bacon, juicy tomato and fresh lettuce, topped with a dollop of creamy mayonnaise, all rolled up in a soft tortilla shell" There is a whole level of dedication and service that just seems incongruous with the grocery store lunch counter environment. And yet, as I try to adjust to my job, and the stress, and try to figure out if this is what I really want, and go through my peace corps phases where I feel like I should be doing something more meaningful than automotive manufacturing, he serves as an almost daily reminder of how so much of your job is your attitude towards it and what you choose to bring to it. He always makes me smile, this lunch counter server who tries to make the experience so much more.
March 04, 2005
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