I was reading someone’s blog about their recent interesting waiter experience, and it reminded me of when I used to be a waiter. Not just the time I was a waiter; specifically one of my funniest/most interesting moments as a waiter:
When I worked at Rock Ola cafe, I decided, why not get my tongue pierced. (I still have the piercing in case you were wondering.) Well, little did I know that when I got it, my tongue would swell to the point where I could not eat (I lost 5 lbs in one week!), and it was very difficult to talk; without sounding like I had a MAJOR speech impediment. But I forged on… I had to work!
Well, the swelling and speech impediment only lasted one week, but during that week, I was waiting on a table of two elderly ladies, when it dawned on me the reason why I had been getting bigger tips; despite the fact I could barely speak. After dropping off their food, and as I turned to leave their table, I disappeared from their sight to just the other side of a dividing wall between their section and the bar. This is where I heard:
“That poor kid. He is so brave.”
“I know, I just want to give him a big old hug.”
“To think that they are so kind to let that little autistic boy work here. He is doing the best he can. God bless him.”
And those two ladies left me my biggest tip of the day, by far. It is interesting what people think about you when you walk away from the table; and when you find out what that is, will you use that to your advantage?
OMG. Freakin’ fantastic. You should totally have kept that up well after your tongue healed. You would have been rolling in it!
If you had gone to Piercing Experience in Candler Park, where they do it RIGHT (e.g., no clamps) your tongue would not have swelled. I know two people who got their tongues pierced there and they were talking normal within an hour. I know I must sound like a paid advertisement, but ever since getting my navel pierced there a month or so ago, I am happy to sing their praises.
So, you know… for future reference.
Anyway. Freaking HILARIOUS story. People can be awesome.
Thanks for the tip Amber, but I am pretty sure that this is the last thing I will have pierced. My body doesn’t really like piercings, and tends to reject most of them. For some reason, this one was fine!
When I got my navel pierced, back in 2000, it never fully healed and eventually my body just pushed it out. And now I have a scar, which is much much cooler.
That is too funny Duane, I would have tried to talk with a speech impediment all the time while I was working (unless it was a table of hot guys natch).