I'm Going Back...

My recent re-fascination with country music has caused me to remember a song that Randy Travis used to sing. I don't know if he still sings it, but I do know that he used to sing it. The chorus to the song suits my general state of mind over the past few weeks.

I'm going back to a better class of loser
This up-town living's really got me down
I need friends who don't pay their bills on home computers
And who buy their coffee beans already ground
You think it's disgraceful that they drink three-dollar wine
But a better class of loser suits me fine

The restaurant I've been working at has made me long for a re-awakening of the better class of loser inside of me. I know that some measure of elitism has crept into my own attitude and I really hate it. I don't like looking down on people who want sweet tea. Some people don't want to spend a truckload of money on wine every time they go out to dinner. That's ok with me. I don't like to do that either, and even if I somehow came across a lot of money, I guarantee that I would rather have a beer or a Jack and coke five times before I have a bottle of wine once.

The words of the chorus do make me laugh. I empathize with the first couple of lines. I don't mind living outside of town and outside of the suburbs. I guess that's just the way I was raised. I don't like looking out the window and seeing other houses or even other people. City living gets me down from time to time.

I do pay my bills on home computers. In fact, sometimes I even pay them on my iphone. Also, anyone who knows me or anyone in my family would be well-aware that I would NEVER buy my coffee beans already ground. I'll grind them myself, thank you very much. The difference in taste is, as my dad (and Ray Charles before him) would say 'night and day' between whole bean and pre-ground coffee.

Come to think of it, I also think it's crazy to drink three dollar wine. Why not just buy some well-crafted grape juice? If you're going to spend money on wine, you may as well get some good stuff. That's just my opinion, though. I won't consider it disgraceful if you are a three-dollar wine drinker. Maybe crazy, but certainly not disgraceful.

All this to say that I'm headed back where I belong. Randy Travis may call it a better class of loser and you may agree. I'm going back all the same. If I have to serve tables (which, apparently I do) for the time being, I would rather just serve them at alongside my fellow better class of loser friends.

So the new restaurant experiment is coming to an end. I had a good time and worked with some good people. Now its time to go back to the people I have come to know and love in Birmingham. You may call us a better class of losers, and that's ok with me. I'm going back.