rapid eye movement

I don't know why it is, but waitresses tend to have terrible recurring nightmares.

It is weird I know, one would not think that being a server could take such a strong mental toll on someone. For some reason having your life and income judged every day at the minimum of ten times (ten checks/tips) wears on your mental capabilities.

The dreams tend to be of the same storyline for each individual. Mine always consisted of me getting slammed, one table after another getting seated, me taking order after order after order, unable to do anything to fill any of them because there is already another table to greet. The first tables that I talked to are getting angry, waiting for drinks and food that I have been unable to even start to arrange for them. I can sense impending doom and hopelessness - and then I leave the restaurant. I just go, take a walk, run an errand, for about a half hour. At some point I then realize that all those customers are still waiting for me, waiting for their service. And go back, in a panic. I have to return and take care of the people who have been waiting for a half hour for anything that they ordered, and explain my delay.

At this point I wake up. Amazingly I still have this dream on occasion, even though I have not waited tables in over a year and a half. The pressure of having to deal with the disapproval of so many people weighs on me to this day.

It occurred to me that if I was to be a financial advisor, I would have to provide a service to people in much the same way as I did when I was a waitress - only now I would be handling their money. If people get peeved at a lukewarm steak, how do they react when a stock you sold them tanked? Needless to say, I did not attend the financial advisor seminar over the weekend.

I did drink a lot, though. Some good stories came from that for sure; but tonight I am tired, and will have to share my adventures tomorrow.

Sweet dreams.