alcohol seems to apply every aspect of my life..

i bartend. every friday night i go down to this hole-in-the-wall college bar with my fellow bartender, hop behind that long piece of fake wood, and serve college students that i hope to God are of legal age. it's decent money and now that i'm thinking about it, an appropriate analogy for my life.

when i'm bartending i have to be happy. flirt with the customers. more flirting equals more money. i should also look somewhat presentable. a little clevage always helps. and i listen. to peoples' sob stories, their problems, and their truimphs. all while serving beverages that will probably help them make more bad decisions that i will almost certainly have to listen to in the future.

meanwhile i'm getting tipped quarters. at the end of the night my feet hurt, my smile is faltering, and i've gotten screwed out of money because people are too cheap to actually be generous. i've gotten yelled at, shot dirty looks, and have had to deal with at least two kids getting kicked out. and i'm there till late, cleaning up other peoples' crap.

i've just begun to notice that the same rules apply to my everyday life, with little changes here and there. instead of flirting with customers, i flirt with boys. looking hot and showing clevage is also necessary for any sort of progress with them. i am known as the "happy-go-lucky" girl, so when i don't feel like being cheerful, people usually steer clear.

i still listen to peoples' stories. apparently i give off the air of being a good shoulder to cry on. i just can't seem to find anyone who wants to return the favor and listen back. at the end of the day, my heart hurts, my smile is faltering, and i've probably gotten screwed over---by a guy, a friend, or by circumstances, because people are too cheap with their feelings and honesty to actually open up. i've still gotten yelled at, shot dirty looks by other girls, and have had to deal with more drama than i can handle.

and i always end up cleaning up other peoples' figurative crap.