I Want To Be A Serve

The next sentence may sound more bizarre than the apparent bad grammar within the title of this post.  One of my favorite jobs was being a waiter.  Yes, a waiter.  I loved it.  It had long hours where you worked while everyone else was off.  You left smelling a little bit like every plate you took back to the dish-washing station.  If you didn’t have an acne problem before you started working in a restaurant, you got one.  There were days when I worked an entire lunch shift and left with $2 in my pocket.  It was awesome…

If that’s all being a waiter was/is, I can’t think of anyone who’d even think about working in that industry.  All of those things are true, so why do people bother waiting tables?  Is it because these people can’t find anything else better to do with their time?  Are they literally that unemployable?  Surely there’s someone out there who would hire them.  Wal-Mart is always hiring.

I can tell you why people like me enjoy waiting tables.  It’s the people. It’s the opportunity to engage with someone you don’t know and show them what it’s like to be treated like royalty.  Before you go and tell me I’m exaggerating because you had this one time where your server didn’t show up for 15 minutes after you sat down – definitely not how you treat royalty – think for just one second more.  Go ahead and give this one a try; after your significant other cooks a meal, hold the plate out to them and say, “It’s cold. I need another.”  You’re going to end up with the main course up your nose and one of the side dishes under your eyelids.

Or try this one; when your water glass is nearly empty, raise your hand in the air, motion for your spouse to come to you, and say, “Do you see this glass?  Can you tell me why it’s nearly empty?  Where’s my refill?”  If you’re expecting a cheerful response and a prompt apology, you won’t find it.  However, if you’re at a restaurant where quality waiters work, that’s exactly what you’ll get.  Yes, good waiters treat you like royalty and they enjoy it.

I recently jumped into a group of people who take the first Saturday of every month and go out into the community to do stuff for people who could never afford the services we provide.  I can’t tell you how much I enjoy seeing the faces of the people who receive our services.  I have realized the reason I love working on these Saturdays and the reason I loved waiting tables is because I love to serve other people.

You could say that I enjoy being a server, but that term is already synonymous with waiting tables.  I could say I like being a servant, but that term lends itself to indentured servitude.  There’s not really anything negative about considering yourself a server or a servant, but I don’t fell either word is strong enough.  Each description is a derivative of the word: serve.  Both words describe the action they perform: to serve.  It’s a never-ending cycle.

I want to propose that the word serve also be considered a predicate nominative.  In the sentence, “Trent is a writer,” the word “writer” is the predicate nominative.  I don’t just want to serve folks as a server or a servant, I want my entire being to be about serving people.  I want to be a serve.

I realize I’m “going against the grain” and essentially suggesting the laws of the English language be changed for the benefit of Trent McCool.  However, I like to think I’m making this suggestion for the greater good of humankind.  I’m starting my life as a serve by altering the English language for all of you who want to be more than a waiter or indentured servant.

Hey, go big or go home!