You Can’t Be a Hostess Forever

“As much fun as it is to live not knowing when you’ll be cut or how much your next paycheck will be, you can’t be a hostess forever, Restaurant Gal.”

This from my right arm who left a few weeks ago. She got a sales job. She has a family to support. She loves the restaurant biz: “Because you can always do it, and you can have some fun doing it.” She might come back, if the sales thing doesn’t work out.

Funny thing is, not two weeks after she left, I was transferred to the other restaurant in our fiefdom, an older, more established place. Good news: PROMOTION. Bad news: None, really. Except I am no longer a hostess or maitre d’.

Oh no, Restaurant Gal, you’re a manager again?

Not to worry. No. Not exactly.

Good news: I am in a downtown neighborhood I love and always wanted to work in. Even more good news: I can walk everywhere again! Well, I’ll walk to and from work again when it isn’t 7 degrees wind-chill temp, and 19 degrees for real. Meanwhile, me and the bus and subway are getting reacquainted.

So, here’s where I am at in the grand scheme of new jobs, even if I didn’t really quit the old one, but just got this nice opportunity tossed to me:

–I work in the office.

–I work on the floor.

–I train as needed.

–I take all types of reservations, from today’s lunch to next month’s book club dinner.

–I talk to everyone and anyone–retirees, birthday girls and boys, CEOs, executive assistants, tourists, office wonks, teenagers–you name it.

All in all, kind of fun. And never a moment when something isn’t happening.

I won’t lie, at first I was in a bit of a funk in this new place. I missed the 7-hours-straight working the maitre d’ show–dancing with the crazy guests, the fun guests. Dancing with all the guests all the time.

Then I started to get it, and felt better. I am pacing myself. I am learning many new skills. I am challenged, again. It doesn’t hurt that I am working among some very nice people who have been in this place for years. What does that tell you? Years in the same place? In a restaurant? Right, like I said….

So, I have held off on stories because I am only now getting my sea legs.

Bottom line is this: There is a step-by-step process to new jobs, and I liken it to anyone embarking on any new job, going away to college, changing high schools, moving to a new city–any of life’s changes. It is scary as hell, no matter how confident you are in your abilities to do well.

One must traverse stages before breathing a tentative sigh of relief, and they are these: Loathing–I hate this stupid new job and all I want to do is go back to what is so familiar. Resignation–Okay, it’s not so bad. I can hang in here a few weeks and see how it evolves. Cautious Acceptance–Hmm. I was complimented by my manager and I sort of felt at home today.

That’s where I am at. Feeling a little more at home. Much more to learn. Lots of new responsibilities. All good. And even better, my manager hinted to me that I could work that podium anytime I need a break from everything else.

Because she gets it. Because she’s logged many miles to many tables.

Off to Colorado for the weekend to celebrate Restaurant Gal Daughter’s birthday. I’ll be back before I–we–know it.