In a previous life...

I was thinking about the various jobs I've worked in my previous life in the U.S. One of the most interesting yet most difficult was waiting tables in New York City. I remember how much I hated it at the time - gruelling hours (during summers I would work a 14 hour day), physically demanding, so-so money (this is what I thought at the time, before I moved to Rome when I realized I was living like a Queen in nyc.... in Rome it's virtually impossible to make a living), and all the horribly rotten people that treated me like the dirt on the soles of their shoes.
But now that I look back on it, I really had an exciting job. I did meet completely rude customers and those that didn't know that they should tip, but I also met people from all walks of life and some that ended up being very dear friends. In fact some of the most interesting people I've ever met were through the restauant business. Plus I waited on numerous celebrities that included Lou Reed (he was really lovely and so ultra cool even if he was wearing a loud hawaiian print shirt), Bill Murray, Willem Defoe, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ethan Hawke, Isabella Rosellini, Shirin Nesrat (one of my favorite video artists), Billy Corgan and his jerk of a girlfriend, Forest Witaker, Salman Rushdie and his model girlfriend (i forget her name), I.M. Pei, Sebastian Junger, Danny Glover, Seymore Cassal, and that's all I can think of.
I remember how the staff would all ooooh and ahhhh when someone handed us a black American Express card, and we would all hope that he (unfortunately I didn't come across any women who handed me a black Amex) would leave a handsome tip. But I think the best part was when I would meet someone who was truly living their dream. A few artists I met who actually sold their artwork and made a living, a jewelry designer who lived across the street from one restaurant I worked at who lived in this fantastic loft and made jewelry all day long, architects, musicians, even start up business men who had an idea and turned it into reality. It was really inspiring in many ways. Not that I haven't met inspiring people here in Rome, I certainly have. But there is an energy that vibrates around nyc that gets people moving and invigorated that I really miss. Plus I met my husband in nyc when we were working at the same restaraunt. He was a chef, I was a waitress, he spoke Italian, I spoke English, and as they say That's Amore!