i know what i signed up for, working in the service industry, more specifically working as a barista.
maybe i didn't really know
(despite being told for years that i would make a great barista)
i had no idea what was in store
there's good and bad days
with the good outweighing the bad
there's customers who i am getting to know
names and orders standing out to me
there's the pet names i get called
'sweetie, sweetheart, darling, dear'
there's the customers who would rather
stare at their screens than give me
even a second of eye contact
making me feel a little less than a person
there are those who smile and say
how bubbly i am to them
and how they can't understand why
i can be so happy at 4 in the morning
(i don't either but i continue to do so)
there's the customers who talk on the phone
while placing their order
only adding to the chaos during a rush
there are the customers who take a second
pause and tell me their order
before going back to their phone call
there are two sides to every customer
two sides to every interaction
there are always good and bad days
however, it is the good
that always outweighs the bad