As I was driving through the chilly sunset tonight, I realized this:
Occasionally I want nothing more than to just be entertained.
Nothing sounds more refreshing or relaxing to me than an opportunity to sit back, release the reigns and enjoy the show. This is one reason why I loved the bar I used to work at in Burbank. I could walk into work having the worst day imaginable, and still there'd be a friendly drunk old man or woman eager to smile and entertain me.
Steve, for example, said one day,
"Mikie? Mikie! What's wrong with you? Snap out of it! You're not yourself today Mikie. Well then let's talk about it, I want to hear what you're thinking about!"
Steves want to help us feel better again. They are Casual-Dependable people: they don't care enough about us to really be upset with our feelings, but at the same time they ain't goin nowhere. You could sit there and shoot the shittiest shit with Steve, and he'd listen to every word you said. He'd laugh, argue, or just plain listen, and in exchange would recount his own stories that might seem totally pointless to others, but incredible to you. Because he doesn't care, but he just wants to entertain. For some reason, it feels amazing to take the attention away from you and just be entertained. Like Steve's carefree laughter... cake for an infant! You can depend on Steves to simply make you smile. Steve lets you try new things. Steve reminds you that you can believe in anything you want, and feel any way you want to. And Steve doesn't let you leave without remember something valuable.
Life will throw you screws. You just have to catch some of them
and set them down.
Thanks Steve.
peace outie
1 comment:
Thank goodness for the Steves out there! I love to listen to people at my work. Everyday I talk to people who have gone through or are going through the most horrendous things. Just yesterday I was talking to a lady just a little older than me. I found out that her daughter, Molly, was someone who used to come in the library all the time. She was so nice and pleasant. We all liked her. Then one day we heard she died. Someone came in to return her library books and that was that! So then yesterday her mom comes in and tells me the whole story. Seems Molly who was 42 years old, had a back injury from a skiing accident when she was younger. So she was taking a couple of kinds of pain medication for it and was unable to work. She was in constant pain. One night she was babysitting for a friend and just fell asleep and never woke up. The pain drugs,(morphine and something else) had gotten too much for her system. Accidental overdose. Luckily the kid she was babysitting was 13 years old! But what a shock! Now this poor mother who lived with Molly and her two dogs is all alone. Molly never married or had kids. This lady just spent four days over New Year's camping out at Coloma where she and her daughter loved to go. (Across the street from where Joey works). She took the two dogs and just contemplated her life and thought about her daughter. It was so sad. But my point is I had a moment to listen to her and feel for her and tell her how much we all liked and missed her daughter, Molly.
That's my story, I like to make a difference in people's lives. I love to hear their stories. It is sad for me to be working with the public for almost ten years now and see so many come and go. Many of my old sweet patron friends are gone now. That is life. There was a sweet lady named Adele who came in to get her Senior magazine and always brought us a little package of chocolates. Marcia even got her a copy of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. What a sweetheart she was still driving at 92. She's been gone now at least two years. Now we have this little lady who gives the library 25 dollars every month for a donation. Her name is Helen and she's 96, she still drives and lives on her own! She polka dances and laughs and wears a little black wig. What an angel. That's why there's Steves out there Mikie, they just love people and don't want to be alone, just like you and me. I love you, Momma
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