The Waitress

Roger Dean Kiser

I did not know until I married my wife that most waitresses only receive about $2.00 per hour. In addition, they pay 8% of all food sales in taxes even if they do not receive a tip. That means if a party of six orders a meal costing $100.00 and they do not leave a tip, the serving waitress still owes $8.00 in taxes.

I have met many waitresses throughout the years. Most are good at what they do; then again, there are some who are very bad.

There is one waitress who outshines any I have ever met. Her job is very important to her. However, more important to her is the fact that her customers always come first...Always.

There have been times when I have actually seen her almost in a gallop, running down aisles to get customers their food while it is still hot. I have seen her argue with the cooks if the plate and food do not look presentable. Many of her customers are amazed that she can remember their names, and what they drank the last time they visited the restaurant.

I have watched her as she walked behind the waitress station, crouched down, and rubbed the calves of her legs because they hurt so badly.

I have seen her hold her composure and smile when some patrons have treated her with undeserved disrespect. I have seen her smile as she cleaned up a table after receiving only a dollar tip and after serving a table of eight people a six-course meal. I have seen her down on her hands and knees cleaning up food people allowed their children to throw beneath the table. I have seen her nearly cry when one drunken male customer said, "What can I get from you if I give you a five dollar tip?"

Yesterday, I went to the trophy shop, and I purchased a large plaque. I had it engraved with the following:

"A special thanks for your many years of excellent service, and for the pride that you have taken in your work as a waitress. It is very much appreciated."
John Q. Public

I took the plaque home to be given to the waitress the next time I saw her. About 10pm, my wife came home from work. She'd had a very long day and she was almost crying because her hips, legs, and feet hurt so badly. I ran a warm bath and rubbed her feet as she lay in the tub close to tears. After she dried and dressed for bed, with much pride, I handed her the plaque, which I had purchased earlier that day.

My wife is, without a doubt, the most wonderful, kind, considerate, and thoughtful server I have ever known.

Global Observance

The Intenders of the Highest Good

No wrong, no right
No dark, no light
No good, no bad
No sane, no mad

No low, no high
No yours, no my
No rich, no poor
No less, no more

No weak, no strong
No short, no long
No big, no small
No spin at all

No there, no here
No far, no near
No gain, no name
It's all the same

It just is.

Worry—The Real Enemy

Steve Goodier

What does it mean to worry? The Latin concept of worry describes a turbulent force within a person. Worry is a heart and mind in turmoil.

The ancient Greeks thought of worry as something that tears a person in two and drags that person in opposite directions. It is like opposing forces in deadly conflict within the very being of the individual.

The word "worry" itself comes from an old Anglo-Saxon term meaning to choke, or strangle, and that is exactly what it does—it chokes the joy of living right out of its victim. And it chokes off the energy to improve one's condition.

There is a place for healthy concern, but too often our concern turns into fearful worry. And worry, more than the problem, becomes our real enemy.

Some people have worried for so long that they have become good at it. Just as we can become good at any attitude or behavior if we practice it enough, we can also become good at worrying. Worry is habit—a habitual response to life's problems.

I rather like the attitude of the late United Methodist Bishop Welch. When he reached the age of 101, he was asked if he didn't think a lot about dying. With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, "Not at all! When was the last time you heard of a Methodist bishop dying at 101?" Maybe one reason for his longevity is that he never developed the habit of worry.

Next time you feel yourself worrying, be like the frogs—they eat what bugs them. Decide to no longer practice needless worry and instead practice peace. Replace your habit of fearful worry with the habit of courageous action. As Harvey Mackey has said, "Good habits are as addictive as bad habits and a lot more rewarding." Practice joy. Practice faith. And practice courage. Soon your life will be too rich and full for worry.

Hang On to Each Other

Steve Goodier

Too often we feel alone. But there is always someone ready to take our hand. There is a beautiful story of an overworked nurse who escorted a tired, young man to her patient's bedside. Leaning over and speaking loudly to the elderly patient, she said, "Your son is here."

With great effort, his unfocused eyes opened, then flickered shut again. The young man squeezed the aged hand in his and sat beside the bed. Throughout the night he sat there holding the old man's hand and whispering words of comfort.

By morning's light, the patient had died. In moments, hospital staff swarmed into the room to turn off machines and remove needles. The nurse stepped over to the young man's side and began to offer sympathy, but he interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked.

The startled nurse replied, "I thought he was your father!"

"No, he was not my father," he answered. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I realized he needed his son and his son wasn't here," the man explained. "And since he was too sick to recognize that I was not his son, I knew he needed me."

Mother Teresa used to remind us that nobody should have to die alone. Likewise, nobody should have to grieve alone or cry alone either. Or laugh alone or celebrate alone.

We are made to travel life's journey hand in hand. There is someone ready to grasp your hand today. And someone hoping you will take theirs.

Get Some Altitude

Steve Goodier

I heard of a tornado that once ripped through the central part of Oklahoma. Guy, a church pastor, and his wife, Vickie, lived directly in the path of the on-coming storm. They took refuge in a closet in the parsonage.

Guy belongs to a denomination (United Methodist), which is known for moving its pastors frequently, and he was scheduled for a move to a new parish in June. Furthermore, as a church leader, he no doubt encountered any number of storms and conflicts among church members. But a tornado was something else entirely, and hiding in the closet seemed the best course of action for the couple.

After the tornado passed, they emerged from their hiding place and were astonished to discover that their closet was the only part of the house left standing! Though they lost everything, they had come through unscathed. As the couple stood in the middle of the debris that used to be their home, Vickie's first comment was, "Wow, Guy! This is wonderful! This will be the easiest move we've ever made!"

Here is a person who knows something about handling difficulties. Sometimes we have to look beyond a problem before we can move forward.

If you have ever flown in a jet on a foggy or cloudy day, you probably know something about looking beyond problems. All seems dark and dreary on the ground. Yet every day is a sunny day if we can only get enough altitude.

Thomas Carlyle put it like this, "What you can see, yet cannot see over, is as good as infinite." Get some altitude and you will be able to see beyond the problem!

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