Reciprocation Vacation

It's not that I haven't been motivated to write over the past week or so;  I've been on vacation.  So please excuse the lapse in time between this post and the last, but I've been enjoying complete and absolute bliss.  In my world that translates to sipping wine and dining my way through Napa Valley.

étoile.  Chandon.  Napa.

I think I speak for most servers when I say there's almost nothing more enjoyable than going to a fine dining restaurant (or trendy, or casual chic, or old school glamorous or whatever type of restaurant you prefer) to be waited on.

We, the restaurant industry people, work so hard, day in and day out, weekends and evenings, holidays and happy hours.  We work our hardest when the normal eight-to-fivers are free to do what they desire. As the typical work force plays, we (service industry people) put aside all of our life's stresses and flash a beaming smile back at them, as actors in a play, wishing we were one of them out with friends drinking our worries away at happy hour.  Because we spend our entire "work week" serving others, it makes being served that much more special.

I believe that service industry people feel the need to be pampered more than the average person.  I could be wrong.  Perhaps everyone has the innate desire to be waited on.  It's about reciprocation.  We spend all of our time serving; therefore, we enjoying be served ourselves.  It all comes full circle in that divine way.

And I sure got my divine intervention over this past week in Napa and Sonoma.  Even if I mentioned I was in the industry, it was like I was a member of their elite society.  Whether it was a discount on a bottle of wine, or a free tasting at a winery, or just giving me the outstanding service I deserve, they knew I was a part of their society, the family, no further questions need to be asked.  Of course, if they hooked me up (with a discount), I hooked them up (with an eye-opening, brag to their fellow server in the side station type of tip).  Obviously.  That's what we family members do.  Reciprocate.   

I'm back home now.  Back to work and back to reality.  It's time to reciprocate in the other direction.

Time to serve my family again.