Where Everybody Knows Your Name

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QczHDwr15GY

One of my favorite television series of 80' s was Cheers,a quaint little neighborhood bar frequented the same group of people every episode who may or may not have been friends. I love the theme song of the series: Where Every Body Knows Your Name. Space I was fascinated by the idea that the replaces for everyone knew you and to some degree cared for you. It was so far away from anything in my life like that at that period of time. I think to some degree I have had similar relationships in some of the places where it worked. That is not quite the same and maybe there is nothing quite the same after all Cheers was a TV show.

I am still involved in a couple of volunteer posts that were related to my old work life. Invariably when I go to these venues I am always asked “How do you like retirement?” It took me a while to realize, and I'm still coming to that realization that people don't want to hear how I really feel about retirement. Always go off at a tangent about how much I dislike the whole retirement thing. I can tell by the look in her eyes this is not what they want to hear. So, I'm backpedaling my response is now to illuminate a little bit of my dissatisfaction at being retired but at the same time bringing up some of the things they want to hear like, sleeping in, playing with the grandkids, and having a great time. I've come to accept I am the walking dead these people are still employed, working I am not to some degree I am what they will become and they really don't want to hear that or see that. If I were a more caring and sensitive person I would probably get out of their lives altogether. But forget that rant. What I started out to write was to a knowledge of place where everybody knows my name or seems to.

In the past I've written about my introduction and inclusion to the morning crew of the Starbucks I go to, in front of my bus stop. How I would first go in to Starbucks to get out of the cold weather or inclement weather until the bus would come. Invariably I would buy their overpriced coffee, our lattes and wheel over to my little table by the window and wait for the bus. I was mildly surprised and a little shocked at how these coffee folks soon learned my name, the beverages I drank and really seen to enjoy my company… Every time I showed up. I realize of course this is great customer service, know your customers, attend to your customers make your customers feel welcome. These people did all that I had a special order, a standing order I had one cup placed in sight another cup so that the beverage would not collapse when writing in my backpack. I have been put in three pinks( the sweetener I use) and they did this every single time all of them, every time I came in or come in for that matter now.

I used to go there every morning of the work week and sometimes on weekends and by some over priced coffee. I didn't mind that I was being overpriced for beverage it was worth it to go to a place where everybody knows my name.