in vino veritas

One of the things that NY does really well are its bars. I'm working in a restaurant that has two bars connected to it. I'm happy to work the floor rather than be stuck behind a bar. Bartenders sometimes work the same bar for years and over the course of time establish co-dependent relationships with their regulars, generally men, and usually alcoholics. The trouble is that both need each other. For tips on how to live the barfly consults the barman. The barman on the other hand, only ever consults his tips. The trouble with drunks, when you are working in proximity to them, is that they believe they have shared something profound with you over the course of your shift and their imbibing. Waxing philosophical one minute they mutate to becoming morose or elated the next. In most cases this follows with becoming rude, arrogant and self important. A mimicry of bravery returned to night after night. If it's bad for the barman, it's worse for women who work the bar as well. Quite often finding themselves first in the mother-carer-nurse-nurturer role, doling out tried and tested platitudes with grace and forbearance they are then regarded, as the night goes on and the drunk gets drunker, as the wanton hussy-whore-hooker. I'm not saying that there is no care nor empathy for the 'regular', but there is very little remembered beyond a few shared laughs usually at their expense the next time everyone turns up for their shift and recalls the night or the week before, when old so and so said or did something or other again. There are no great words of wisdom from minds which are deserving of better. It's enough to drive a man to drink!