My People

     Last night I went bowling for our employee party.  It's pretty amazing the camaraderie we all have with one another. 
I think this was thrown together kind of last minute so an email went out last week inviting us all to the bowling alley for a get together.  Usually when something like that is last minute a handful of people may show up.  Not with our motley crew.  Everyone was there.  Front of the house, back of the house, management too. 
We walked in and the bowling alley was empty with the exception of a couple of people wrapping up a game.  We gathered around a table waiting for everyone to show and within 15 minutes 25 or so of us were high fiving, fist bumping, hugging, shaking hands.  It was as if we all hadn't seen each other in years.  It's been 5 weeks.  The energy was good and we were all feeling warm and fuzzy being with our 'kind' again.  We're like a special tribe, us restaurant folk.  We have our own language, and no one is easily offended.
 
     After our warm welcomes and feeling the love we got shoes, pitchers of beer, cocktails, food and balls.  We broke up into teams and started bowling.  The jokes were flying, everyone was aware of the other lanes and how others were bowling, wise cracks were being thrown out and there was laughter all around.  We were all mingling and having a ball. 
Before last night I was so not ready to go back to work.  Now, I am. 

     I am grateful to work in such a positive environment, which is kind of an oxymoron.  Restaurant business, positive environment?
  
Yes, it is possible.  We're living proof.