Gloria and Seymour

Yesterday, I worked a double.  In waitress speak, that is working both lunch and dinner.  Whenever you are scheduled for a double you can expect to be serving, cleaning and running Blue Moons for twelve to thirteen hours.

On a busy day, working two shifts is exhausting but worth the money.  On a slow day, working a double is just about as fun as sticking needles in my eyes.

Yesterday lunch was very very slow.  It was painfully slow.  But when you work with good people, the day is full of laughs.  And laugh we did.

Dinner was busier, and it felt good to get moving after serving only nine people for lunch.  About seven o'clock, when the band was finishing up, I had a table of two sit down.  A "deuce."  They were an older couple, well dressed in Ralph Laren.  I approached them and inquired if anyone had been over to serve them yet.  They looked up and told me no one had.

"Well then I guess I'm the winner!"  was my candid, break-the-ice answer.

The gentlemen looked up, and dryly responded, "Oh no, we're the winners."

Immediately, I knew I loved these people.  They were at ease and enjoying themselves. They playfully bantered back and forth as they ordered their food.  They went together like salt and pepper.  It was adorable, and such a pleasure to be around.

Their names were Gloria and Seymour.  They were the kind of table that makes being a waitress so much fun.

As I continued to serve them, and we became better acquainted, I asked them how long they had been together.  We see many types of couples in the restaurant business.  Dozens of couples come in a day.  Grouchy couples, newlyweds, first dates, adulterous trysts and many many more.  In my experience, couples like Gloria and Seymour are newlyweds.  Or a second marriage.  Or a third.

It is so very rare to meet two people who have their chemistry and have them respond they've been married 57 years.

Yes, 57.

They were an inspiration.  I asked her what their secret is, since surely they know something many of us don't.

Gloria looked at me, and responded, "First and foremost, you have to love eachother.  And you have to make certain he respects what you do, because he will very rarely thank you for it."

So very true.

Lastly, she looked at me and said, "Communicate.  Seymour is an excellent communicator."  I took away from this experience that there is no secret to a marriage like theirs.

They just stayed the course, and kept the lines of communication open.  And of course, as I saw with my own eyes, they truly liked each other.

Gloria and Seymour were a joy.  And a wonderful example of how rewarding marriage can be, because you don't get that kind of relationship without years and years of time to iron out the kinks.

They've been ironing the kinks for 57 years.

Pretty amazing.