On to the next thing!

This evening marks my last shift at the Village Deli. I am absolutely thrilled to be done there, but to me, it's alot like when I graduated. I guess it still hasn't kicked in yet that I'm not a waitress anymore, that I've moved on to better things. It was strange telling my customers, people I've seen at least once a week, nearly every week, for the last ten years that it was my last shift. One guy even teared up a little. It was nice hearing all the well wishes from everyone.
I still remember my first night there. It was late March, 1998, a Friday night. I started out as a hostess, and I got thrown in on one of the busiest nights of the week. Being 15 years old, I had to get a work permit, but I was saving up spending money for my first trip to Europe. Over the years I don't think I ever imagined I'd be there so long, but I have never known an employer who took as good care of me as Les and Lorna. They didn't have any children, but I may as well have been their daughter. They were understanding about my family issues, my school, and my other jobs. They would even claim me as their daughter half the time.
After I graduated though, it hit me that I could no longer just wait tables. It's a worthy profession, and it's not easy work, not in the least. It may seem easy, and there are people out there who think all waitresses are just people who can't or won't get better jobs, but that is seldom true. It's quick money, and it makes it easy for those who are in school. But I know I couldn't do it forever, and I'll never do it again. It's a part of my life that is over and done.