A New Old Job

I'm working the job I began working the day before I graduated high school.

Lonestar Steakhouse and Saloon.

I initially worked in the steakhouse portion, but now I work in the saloon portion as a bartender, and honestly I couldn't be more fulfilled.

I have a college degree. I have a brain. I can debate the public option, regulation of the free market, socialism, theatre of cruelty, modern art, and college football with the best of them. But bartending fulfills me in a way I can't describe.

I'm happy. I LOVE not coming home until 11 pm, and not having to be anywhere until 4 pm. I like having interesting conversations with random people. I like my managers. A couple of my co workers are some of my favorite people (though granted some of them belong on my "people who should not reproduce list").

And so I look at my three years in education, my three years in college, my four years in a nationally ranked high school, and my god knows how many years in earlier school and I'm lefto think-- was it all in vein?

No matter what difference I make in the world of educaiton. No matter what theatre production I do, rarely anything has the SUSTAINABLE (note this is what separates bartending from theatre) enjoyment that bartending does.

I love the theatre. I LOVE it. But it's also my poison. I love it and I hate it and I could never live without it.

I could live without bartending. But I wouldn't want to. It's fun. It takes more brains than any other job I've done (including teaching on the college level).

This whole experience kind of makes me feel like all those years of school were wasted, and that bartending + theatre = enough to keep me not only sane, but happy.