each person a universe

I am interested in the lives others lead.

I have been getting to know the people I work with at the restaurant.

James:

• has only been working at the restaurant for several weeks. before this serving job, he worked at other serving and bartending jobs. he is 24 years old, but has the baby face of a boy of 16 or 17. I imagine his soft look of innocence does him well on the poker table because he is anything but naive and innocent. He does extremely well at poker, and for long stretches at a time has paid his rent, traveled and wined and dined his girlfriend on his poker earrings. He and his girlfriend are back from a travel adventure, just got a pitbull puppy and it looks like they may be on the road again to NY because his girlfriend wants to go to art school there, and they've both lived in NY, love it, and James can make a lot of money bartending and playing poker there. He told me he doesn't have any aspirations except to live comfortably, travel to South America and not worry about money.

Jacques:

• is 5o-some and has been battling HIV for 20-some years. He's been a server at the restaurant for 7 years. He's a skeleton and this week his belly is bloated because he said he's had trouble with his medication. Jacques lives to make people happy through serving them. Once a little girl was upset because she wanted mac and cheese, and we don't have it, so Jacque went in the back and put pasta, half and half and cheddar cheese in a cup, microwaved it, and brought it out to her so she could have her mac and cheese. Jacques has no teeth, and it's hard to understand him sometimes. He lives at a hotel on central and rides a bicycle to work. He is always early and carries a cheap paperback novel with him to work that he reads if they won't let him clock in early. He loves Ben and Jerry's icecream and has a stream of strange regulars who sit alone and melt with appreciation at his care and attention. He told me a few weeks ago that his vice is bourban and bad men.

Ron

• Ron's passion is serving people. He shaves his head, is short and has a little belly. He is a perfectionist and has a gift of being attentive to detail. He trained me and has formally been the manager and owner of the restaurant, but gave up the crazy hours and large responsiblity to assist his father in dying. Now, he just serves and trains, and I think he is happy with that. Ron is gay, and a pessimist about love. He doesn't eat pork because he thinks pigs are too closely related to humans. Ron has allergies and drinks his coffee with lots of cream. Ron only works nights and receives the best shifts. He likes to watch cartoons and usually wakes up at 11am everyday because of his night owl activities.

Each person is a world onto themselves, a separate universe. How I feel we are all just separate universes sometimes with different orbits, circling around one another.

People are interesting to me. I like people and I listen to their stories.