I am often told I am an inspiration by my thousands of adoring fan (Linda).
Contrary to popular belief, however, I was not Jim Henson’s inspiration for his green furry monster Oscar the Grouch. That honor goes to a rude waiter at the New York restaurant Oscar’s Salt of the Sea. But let’s not condemn all servers based on one bad experience. In fact, we should all take this opportunity to thank our restaurant servers from all types of eating and drinking establishments.
Servers are on the front lines of getting back to normal in these pandemic days, when fun and relaxation are so rare. Be understanding if there attitude and service is less than stellar. You don’t know what they have been through. Perhaps their boss insisted they get to work on time. They might have been pressured to clean the soup off the menus or fill ketchup bottles and salt shakers before getting their first break. And a full shift taking patrons orders, memorizing specials (or reading from the cheat sheet), and the endless carrying plates of food to their tables. Add bringing extra napkins and filling water glasses and you have fertile ground for a nervous breakdown.
Perhaps I was not the model for Oscar the Grouch but you can make a case for my being the inspiration for Bevis’ pal Butthead. Yes?