This Friday, I want to dedicate my blog to all the
wonderful people I've met in bars. I don't mean the occasional sloppy drunk, but the
people who work in bars and restaurants. The ones who can put a smile on my face and a beer in my hand.
 |
| https://morguefile.com |
I've been divorced for seventeen years now and am
still single. Instead of sitting at home by myself all the time, I seek out
nice bars to hang out in a few times a week. I've called several different
places 'home'. The first was Applebee's. I made friends with all the bartenders
and most of the wait staff. One in particular – Johnnie – became more like a
son to me. We could talk to each other about anything. I would give him advice
and he would do the same for me. Unfortunately, he moved away and I moved on to
another hangout.
That's the nice thing about bars. They are kind of like churches. One on every corner. You just have to find the right one for you.
The next place, I not only made friends with the
staff, but also many of the regulars. We became family. I still hold several of them
near and dear to my heart. But, alas, I left there when the new owners and I didn't see eye to eye about the treatment of the staff.
My current home is Bair's. It's a little sports bar
and grill located on the edge of the largest college in town. Everybody has
welcomed me with a smile, and once in a while a hug (which is nice). In fact,
the bartender last night gave me the idea for this post. Mikaela is awesome.
She knows who she is and she is confident in what she does. She has even helped
me with housework, since my knees limit me. She calls me 'dad'. Don't ask.
Most of these hard working people I've met and made
friends with are twenty somethings, going to college, and just getting started
in life. They are interesting and fun. Or as my parents would say "They are the salt of the earth." Talking to them keeps me young. So, as
long as I can climb up on a bar stool, I'll keep making friends.
