Their Only Dream Is For You To Leave

(I’m working the night shift at a hotel during a big Christmas party of over 500 people. We’re all helping out wherever needed, so I switch from working the bar to working the party hall fairly regularly.)

Guest: *sits down at the bar and orders a drink* “So, do you enjoy working here?”

Me: *while making his drink* “Oh, yes, sir. My colleagues are great and the hotel is beautiful, so I enjoy it very much.”

Guest: “But it has to be stressful, right?”

Me: “It can be, yes. But in the end, that depends on how you look at things.”

Guest: “True. Still, you look like a bright girl; wouldn’t you like to do something else?”

Me: “I enjoy my work, so no, not really.”

Guest: “But this job can’t possibly pay you enough! I mean, I work as a manager in my company, and even my pay isn’t enough for the people I have to put up with! You’ve got to meet more idiots than me!”

(I’m trying really hard not to think “Yes, people like you…” This conversation is disrupted by me serving other customers, by the way. But trying to include this would probably create confusion.)

Guest: “Really now. Why don’t you study something? I’m sure you could do that! You could be the boss around here!”

Me: “I can always do that at a later time when I’m sure what kind of degree I’d like to get. For now, I’m content.”

Guest: “Really? You’re content serving a**holes drinks?! And clearing dirty dishes? Are you sure you don’t want something better for yourself?”

(A colleague asks me to help him out in the party hall; I am very glad to get away from this guy. Towards the end of the party, while I am clearing the last glasses off the tables, the same guest finds me again. He is drunk and yelling.)

Guest: “THIS is your DREAM, REALLY?! REALLY?!”

(I ignore him and keep on clearing the glasses away. When I return from our back office, an arm is suddenly slung around my shoulder. It is the same guest again.)

Guest: “You’re a pretty, smart girl. You could do so much better. I’m going to help you! I’ll protect you! You can quit right now. I’ll get you a place at a university and you can come back and run this hotel!”

Me: *shrugging off his arm* “Thanks, but I really do enjoy working here. I don’t want to study right now and I don’t want to quit.”

Guest: “BUT WHY? WHY?! WHY DO WORK EVERY IDIOT CAN DO? You’re better than this!”

(I walked away from him, as he got more and more agitated and tried to grab me again. He started to scare me a bit. When I reached the bar, he was still in the hallway screaming how I was so much better than this job. His coworkers collected him soon after, and one sought me out to apologize for his behavior.)