It's amazing
the difference between
perceived truths
about someone
and the actual reality.

I've been seen
on numerous occasions
as having an air
of confidence and
ingenuity,
not necessarily
at the same times.

Amazing to think
the parity between
the concepts.

In New York
I was seen as someone
that was wacky and pretentious
early on.

Then after a while
it became
“Jeff being Jeff”
as I sang while
sweeping my station
or in the midst
of a hectic shift.

It's how I let off steam.

Sometimes I yelled.
I called it passion,
others called it anger.

In Las Vegas
I was almost not even “hired”
back into a company
I had been with for
nearing 6 long years.

I was perceived
as egotistical and cocky.

Me?

If you ask me a question
on how I would rate myself
I'm surely not going to say
“I'm the worst!” nor
will I attempt
to articulate myself
as the best because
surely I wasn't.

So my answer was based
on numbers solely.

“Top 5.”

I was there long enough
that only a handful
of fellow waiters
had been there longer.

Simple math
suddenly became synonymous
with arrogant, East Coast jerkoff.

Once I was finally seen
as an asset instead of threat
I began working with the crew
and became
“one of the strongest workers.”

My sales weren't the highest
but people left happy
with the exception
of the few underwhelmed
by prime steak
and its surroundings.

Suddenly, I became
enemy number 1
as I had opinions
and the inability
to not say them.

Brush me off
they could do for so long
before I took matters
into my own hands,
breaking company policy.

I went out
just as I came in:

unpretentious
real
passionate

me.

09/13/2012

Posted on 09/14/2012
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