How Deep is Your Love?

Just dropped Tim him off at the airport and decided since we were wide awake we would make the day memorable in a positive way and treat ourselves to breakfast at a local diner. One of those 24hr, open 365 days a year family diner on the El Camino in San Mateo. It was still dark outside with the night air lingering and the streets devoid of cars.

We walked in to an empty restaurant but were greeted by a weary eyed waitress. "anywhere you want to sit" she said with a smile.

We found a table by the windows facing the street. Sarah and I looked at each other and asked "are you ok?" yes. We are both ok although we were a little sad  to say goodbye to her dad. Not gonna lie these deployments always come with a bit of uncertainty. I tried to find the right words to reassure her "we're pros at this...piece of cake... let's enjoy *this time *and make memorable moments we can look back on."

An older man walked in and sat down on one of the 80's forest green vinyl stools at the counter. The waitress greeted him too. She wore her jet black hair in a blue paisley bandana and had cheetah print tattoo covered shoulders. She asked if he wanted his waffles and big breakfast. He must be a regular customer.

He immediately started talking in a loud voice complaining about some guy that stiffed him for $460 dollars. He then went into a rant about lowlife people who don't work and want everything handed to them... and how people quit their jobs because they can't take orders. "Even the President takes F'n orders!" he shouted. He also hates commie hippies and declared himself an industrialist, somewhat religious but threw out f'bombs in every sentence. The waitress was at the end of her shift and I could sense counting down the minutes to clock out.

He continued his rant about people who hate him because he speaks his mind and is loud and obnoxious. At least he is self-aware.

When the waitress checked on us again we thanked her for working such a hard shift at this insane hour to have to put a smile on her face and serve people like him who had not one positive thing to say about anyone or anything. He even complained  about the music. (Bee Gees.... "How deep is your love" was playing) lol totally ironic. I don't understand how someone could spew such awful statements so early in the day and dump it all on this poor waitress.
Sarah and I concluded that her work shift 10pm to 6am had to be the worst ever.

She brought our check and smiled at us as if to say "sorry you had to sit through that". She told us she liked her job,  gets paid even better than her old job at the old Mills hospital that is now closed, well except she doesn't have benefits, but gets good tips and only has to work 3 nights a week.

We gave her a nice tip and waved goodbye. We thanked the Latino cook who was sitting by the exit door. He smiled back.

Teachable moment for us. There are very angry and bitter people out there. We can't change them. We can't change how they present themselves to the world we can only show them that love over all is the only way. A life of bitterness is no way to live. All we can do is show them how deep our love is.