The Cheaters

My heart is so heavy today.

My week was already on a rough start and basically doing a mighty fine job of keeping it that way.  To the point where I barely slept for days at a time, tossing and turning, and waking up with chest pains.

Then I come into work and my heart was relieved.  Relieved at the expense of someone else's hardship and pain.  I wasn't sure whether I should feel happy that I was finally relaxed for the first time in over a week, or should I mourn for the person who took away my pain.  The same person who just proved to me that if I had it bad, she had it worse.  And rightfully so.

As I was at the host stand, letting time pass me by, fanning myself with a Happy Hour menu, a young lady in a nurse outfit walks in and asks for "Jill."  Let's call her Jill to help protect her and everyone else too.

I respond to the young lady and say, "I'm so sorry, Jill is gone for the day."  Then she says, "Sarah."  I say, "Yes, Sarah is here.  Let me get her."

The young lady takes Sarah to a corner of the restaurant and begins to cry.  There she was.  Pregnant.  Crying.  Losing control.  Losing control of everything she apparently has tried to build and hold on to.  Crumbling and turning to sand.  I stand there wondering what was going on.  Resting my chin on my hand, staring and waiting.  

My manager interrupts "Sarah" and tells her, "It's down to closers."  So she wraps up her conversation with the young lady, only to continue her story with one of the bartenders.

As Sarah walks to the back of the restaurant, I walk with her.  Intrigued, but concerned.  Hungry for the story, but not happy with the tears I saw earlier.  It's as if I wanted a story to help take away some of my pain.  As if I wanted the world to prove to me that it wasn't just me with problems.  And that's exactly what I got.

That young pregnant woman in the nurse outfit, is the current wife of a former server at that restaurant.  It turns out that he was having an affair with another former server (who was also married with children).  Let's call her Trisha.

Trisha was all about family, faith and saving face.  I can even attest to that.  But there was something dissuading about the incessant reminders about how much she loved her family, husband and children.  Personally, I live by the motto: "If you have to talk about it all the time, then you probably don't have it or live by it."

Anyways, I continue to get more information out of "Sarah."  She tells me that the affair has been going on for a while and the young lady being cheated on, surrendered to the people whom she thought were her enemies (i.e, her husband's coworkers).  She AND Trisha's husband ("Mike") hired a private investigator to help prove that Trisha and the young lady's husband were cheating.

As soon as I begin to reminisce about Shania Twain's story, little did I know that even Shania had a better ending than the young lady.  When Trisha was with her 1st husband, she was cheating on him with Mike (her soon-to-be and current husband).  But at that time, Mike knew very well that Trisha was married.

Thus, finding a faithful couple to help make this story better seemed inevitable.  It seemed that that young lady was standing alone.  And little does Mike know that his last child may not be his.

The more the story unraveled, the calmer I got.  I got calm, but cold.  I eventually sat down, far away from the host stand, thinking about how horrid this story was.  How stressful this story was.  How heavy this story will be.

Here is a pregnant working woman, trying to deal with a soon-to-be broken family.  With no one on her side, but a husband who cheated with a married woman (only to be cheated on now).  Who do you trust and who do disregard?  Who do you forgive and who do you side with?  Who is who?

Freedom and Democracy

"I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."

-Frank Zappa.

People just don't get it.

It is so interesting how hateful people become right when you give your employer notice that you're leaving.

Some wish you well, some are genuinely hurt and unfortunately for them, some return to their old habits: trying to make your exit awkward.  But what's the point?

For instance, last night, a guest walked in and I greeted her.  Her and I began talking until one of the managers interrupted me and re-greeted the guest.  The phone began to ring and I simply took the phone-call, only knowing that the guest was obviously taken by another individual.

A few minutes later, a female manager walks over and tells me, "Just an FYI, if you're talking to a guest and the phone rings, just let the phone ring...don't ignore the guest."  I said, "Uh, no one ignored anyone.  We were interrupted and I took the phone call.  I was no longer speaking to the guest.  I was rudely interrupted."
She (the same manager), gives me a disappointed look and said, "I figured that's what happened."

Today, I was approached by the Events Coordinator and she said, "I heard about last night."  I said, "What did you hear?"  She said, "[he] said you 'rudely' ignored the guest to take a phone call."  Before I even say what really happened, the events coordinator says, "It's all a lie."

So what is the point.  What is the point in lying and making up fairy-tale stories.  What is the point in re-creating animosity and hatred, when a worker is leaving in less than 4 weeks.  What is the point in causing trouble for a person who has given guests too much than he should have.  You are getting nothing out of it.

This blog is less of a vent and more of a question that asks, "Are people really that petty?"  I guess they are and people like that will never change.  The people who have shown you nothing but love and respect, will always remain that way.  And the people who live for damage, will always be that way, only damaging themselves in the long-run.  It's like a sickness; an ailment that has been suppressed for so long that was forced to come out.  For people like that, I cannot wish you ill nor well either.  

Re: Soldier who helped capture Saddam Hussein, running for Congress.

Good Friday Morning everyone,

Regarding the former soldier who helped capture Saddam Hussein and now running for Congress: It is such a shame and oh so pathetic.  Hailed as a hero for a war that was waged, while there was never a direct threat or fear from them. Forced and pressured wars CREATE terror and terrorists. And look how we idolize and/lionize such people, making them think what they do or did was right. Most people who go to war are middle-class citizens and/or (and I say this kindly), are ignorant, because they equate patriotism with war. The media is to blame because they work with the government, the people are to blame because they believe everything they see or hear on the media and the government is to blame for having no feelings. Do your part and stand up for what's right, NOT because people tell you it is.

Planet Earth

In the midst of all the problems happening in the world, it really isn’t worth it.  People are so busy controlling, killing, taking land, giving it back, making promises, breaking them, doing good and later contradicting it.  What ever happened to basic human relations and respect?  Whether you believe in the afterlife or think there is only one life to live, we will NOT be returning to Earth.  Understand that.  So enjoy and respect one another, and respect Planet Earth, a land that is technically NOT yours or mine.  Because if it was, we would live and die, and take Earth with us.  Instead, Earth takes us under, many times with no warning…just to prove that Planet Earth is powerful and we are the powerless.  So give it respect.    

Robots

         What has this world come down to?  Today, I was interested in knowing more about a hair product that claimed to work on all hair types.  I went on the company website to type and send my email, which I did.  But seconds later, a chat box popped up and “Rachel” was excited to welcome me to the site and answer my questions/concerns. 

          I had a simple question and got the answer.  But “Rachel” was aiming at sending me the link to make a future purchase.  So what did I do?  I wanted to test Rachel and see if she knew how to put business to the side for a second and listen.  I lied and said, “I have to go right now, my husband is yelling to put dinner on the table.  I don’t want him to hit me again.”  Rachel kindly said, “I totally understand.” 

          But “Rachel” was nice…she wanted me to forget about domestic abuse and focus on my potentially-beautiful hair.  She continued the conversation about how I can benefit from this product and she got ready to send me the link.  I then replied, “I’ll buy it soon, but I wish it came with a new husband L  Domestic abuse is just not right.” 

          Rachel ended by saying if I had any other questions about the product.  I said “No thank you” and deleted the chat box.  I had enough.    

          In conclusion, it’s honestly not Rachel’s responsibility to counsel me, but the point is that she didn’t care.  No matter how much I pressured her with my situation, she went back to sales.  Yes, she’s there to make money and ultimately make a living.  However, what if my story was real?  It doesn’t mean that Rachel could have saved me from my misery, but if my story was true, she didn’t make my situation any better.  If all this was real, I probably would have ended my night with the impression that, “No one cares…not even that woman.”  That’s my point.  It’s about caring and sometimes, one word can either uplift or destroy.  That’s my point.  “Rachel” failed and God knows how cold we are to each other in this world.    

Let's talk about religion: Part I

This is probably one of the most delicate topics that any human being can talk or write about.  For centuries, people have fought and killed in the name of God, mainly because they believe that their religion is right.  But who is to say, who is right and who is wrong?

I was raised Muslim and of course like many religions out there, I was told that Islam is the right religion.  And I know Christians say the same thing about their religion, Jews about theirs and so on and so forth.  So we've come to an agreement that most religious think they are right and are the chosen ones.  At least we got that point down.

But the question becomes, "If we all believe (for those who do) that there is only one God, how in the world did that One God send down multiple religions and end up confusing the hell out of people?"  I'm not being blasphemous, but honest.  Why would a one and Almighty God end up wanting people to believe in different religions, yet have each specific religion claim to be the chosen path for guidance and salvation (both on Earth and the Hereafter)?  That is what doesn't make sense to me.  Thus far, I do believe in One God, but I am coming to the understanding that religions were created by people.  I believe they were created in order to make people do good or be good, knowing that humans are sinful by nature.  Thus, religion is a fear tactic, just like law enforcement was created to pin down people and keep things in order, since people will NOT voluntarily create the order.  So when the Greeks thought, "People are just nuts, we need to control them a little," that is how law-enforcement eventually came about.  People were known to be evil and they needed to be pinned down.  It makes sense, even today.

So that we don't go too astray and get off topic, let's bring this back to the premise of religion.  If the Greeks and Romans thought that humans were naturally evil or needed to be controlled (at a time when many religions didn't exist yet), then I wouldn't be surprised how more religions eventually evolved later on in the years that came.  I mean, since we're at it...name me something important that wasn't created by humans: Names of the days of the week, names of months, the number of days in the week and month, Thanksgiving Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Sweetest Day...language was even created!!  So the list is short from ending.  So if all these things and events were created by humans, then what makes me believe that religions weren't created by humans as well?  I'm assuming this because humans want power and they love to control.  So what do people do when there's a strong religion, you create a stronger one...and that's exactly what happened throughout the years.  How else do you think most of the religions share the same elements in beliefs, but only have a different way of expressing it and on different times of the year?  I believe a loving and straightforward God would NOT send down anything to confuse people.  People (I think) confused themselves.  More to come in Part II.