The Waffle House

Observations on a late night meal

 You have probably been to a Waffle House at one time or another. If not you should stop by just for the experience. Try about 2:00 am on the outskirts of a small city or get there when the breakfast crowd shows up. You usually will get a decent show with every meal.

I stopped by for breakfast today. I was on my way back from Morganton where I had dropped Sandy off at her sister, Lora’s. Lora, Sandy, Marcia, Tina and her daughter, Lauren were all headed to Orlando for their maternal grandmothers funeral. She was 95, so she had a good long life. It will be a good time for all four sisters to bond again.

Anyway, I stopped at the one at the second exit going East past Highpoint. You never know what you will experience when you walk into a Waffle House. As I opened the door 4 people said hello to me; one patron going out and 3 of the 4 waitresses behind the counter. It made me feel good even before I sat down. My waitress, Rhonda, was young, quiet and had a hand made nametag. All of the others had yellow plastic tags with their names embossed on them. After she took my order she just stood and waited to deliver it to the cook. Finally, one of the other waitresses, Cathy, said “go ahead honey”. With that she belted it out, waited for the cook to repeat it back and then confirmed it. I asked Cheryl, a third waitress, if they were breaking in a new one. She said “no, she has been here a couple weeks and she almost has it down. She just can’t remember all of the items yet”. I was really impressed with how the two older waitresses were coaching her along.

As I waited for my food the 3 of them began to banter back and forth about what they were going to do tomorrow, if Cheryl was going to cook dinner and whether and who was going to come over. It was obvious that they were either all related or close friends. They talked as if they were the only ones in the place while they included us all in their light, friendly chatter. It felt a bit like eavesdropping on a private conversation, you didn’t want to seem too interested, but you also didn’t want to miss anything. So you found yourself laughing right along with them.

I was enjoying myself so much I hardly remember eating my eggs, bacon, grits, toast and waffle. It was all over too quickly and before I left I complemented the manager on the fine people she had working there, loud enough so that the whole staff could hear. I left a nice tip, really paying for the entertainment rather than the service, and paid Cheryl at the register. As I left they all wished me a good day and I walked out feeling full, satisfied and happy.

It is funny how being a part of someone else’s life, even for a short time, can make you feel good. As I drove away I thought, what if everyone could feel that for everyone else, would there still be killing in places like Iraq, Darfor, and Durham?

You see, deep down we all want the same things.

To be heard, to listen and to love.

So the next time you sit down in a Waffle House or anyplace else, take a minute to listen in on the lives that make up your world. We all have something to share with each other, listen, appreciate and thank them, for that is what makes life smile.

 Marc