Dan Antion

Piece of Candy – #1LinerWeds

On Saturday, at the bar, a real bar, I observed a simple act of kindness that I want to share as my one-liner. First, as has become my habit, there’s a backstory.

Bars and restaurants in Connecticut and, I presume elsewhere, are stretched tight. Customers who have had quite enough of the pandemic, have returned in numbers reminiscent and are partying like it’s 2019. On the other hand, people haven’t been exactly lining up to be servers and bartenders. Sometimes the staff has to perform multiple functions during the day. For instance, the bartender usually serves the bar and a few tables within the bar. On Saturday, she also had to serve the people in the lounge (on a slightly lower level) and the patio. She also had to restock supplies as they were consumed.

In addition to the extra duty during her normal dayshift, she had to work a second shift that night as a server in the restaurant.

 When the night bartender came on duty, she saw the state of the daytime bartender and asked she could do anything to help. The daytime bartender shook her head no. Then the night bartender said:

“I have Starburst – You can have a red one.”

Starburst photo courtesy of Faith Antion

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner, or if you would like to join in on the fun, you can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

We planted two small rhododendrons last fall. They are starting to bloom.
We didn’t sit when it was 97°f (36°c) this weekend but it cooled off on Monday.
Of course, MuMu always has a comfy place to rest.
“Dry my head!” – We got caught in the rain on Monday.
The storm took care of the rhododendrons. The azaleas are still blooming.
Beauty of Moscow lilacs are now fading.
“You’re taking a picture? I’m not in it.”
Baby bunny. Dandelion included for scale.
Momma buny
Hartford on a sunny day from across the river.
Crane!
This is why we leave the bugs alone.
Smokey getting a drink
We saw one of Smokey’s cousins on our walk.
Another drab warehouse going up
We planted two small rhododendrons last fall. They are starting to bloom.
Old Glory against the green background.

67 comments

  6. Flowers are still looking nice. I went to our local small town hardware store one day to pick up an item I’d found online but couldn’t locate it in the store. I waited while a young man helped a person buying paint and asked if he would help me. He did, and I looked around for a cashier. He said he’d help me check out. I looked around again and jokingly asked if he was the only one working in the store. He said he was because they couldn’t find people to work. After checking out, I thanked him sincerely for going to work that day. I think I’ll stop here or I’ll bore your folks with my opinions. :-) Maddie sure does love ‘her’ deck.

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  7. What a nice act of kindness and caring, from one overworked bartender to another. Instead of grumbling about the lack of employees working in any establishment, we should be thanking those who ARE working for being there.

    Old Glory is always on the job and never fails to look grand!

    MuMu getting needed sleep so she can keep an eye on you later! Maddie surveying her kingdom making sure all is well. Of course she wants her head dried! She has a reputation to live up to!

    Bunnies, squirrels, and birds, all recipients of acts of kindness from you and the Editor! You are good people. Wish there were more of you in this world.

    Have a happy, safe Wednesday Dan. Quite cold here this morning again. Will we ever see a normal weather pattern again!
    Ginger

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    • Thanks Ginger. We try our best to show our appreciation for the ones who work. It doesn’t take much to hold your impatience at bay ans say ‘thanks’ when necessary.

      Maddie doesn’t mind walking in the rain, but she hates having a wet head. I don’t get it, but I dry her head before I dry her feet.

      She surveys her little kindom, while everyone eats/

      I hope you’re having a great week.

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    • Kindness always helps, Frank. We need to remember that (and others need to learn it). I think Preson didn’t understand why pictures were being taken, but not of him. Waste of “film” in his mind.

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  10. I think I’d have cried at that sweet act of kindness. That is the best. Faith’s cat is such a handsome boy. More photos, Dan! Your flowers are so pretty. Rain-damaged or not, they look great.

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  11. How sweet! Did that cheer her up? I like the green ones they used to have. I love your Spring photos. Thanks for the Rhododendron pics. I miss them. If I ever find one here I’m scooping it up! I did find a Gardenia. My friend gave me a cutting. But they grow soooo slow.
    The only bugs we really wage war on is the ants. SO many ants…🤦‍♀️

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  14. Love the pictures of the garden Dan. Had to chuckle at the rabbit and dandelion pic. The dandelion growing in the daylily bed with the fertilizer was of a different scale. The leaves were huge, like 18 inches and standing in the air. The bloom was closer to 24 inches high and double the size of one in the grass. I am just glad there was not a to scale bunny munching on it. The bunnies are normal size here and like the clover in the grass… Happy hump day. Have a red starburst…

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  16. The staff shortages everywhere are a mystery to me, Dan. Where did all of the workers go? What a kind gesture to offer a simple piece of candy. Love all the photos and one-liners!

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    • People don’t seem to want these jobs. This place pays well over our $15/hr minimum wage. But they struggle to find new people who last very long.

      Simple kind gestures are so important. Thanks!

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  22. MuMu is particularly precious today — such soft, lovely eyes. Thank you for sharing the goodwill from the bar, Dan. I loved the story, and as always, the photos that followed. Have a great day!

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  23. Your one-liner is so sweet, no pun intended, it made me tear up. Something as simple as a candy to someone that is stressed thin is incredibly kind. And I do love kind.

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  25. I enjoyed the photos as usual and really, really enjoyed the one-liner and story. I try to always be nice to clerks, tellers, etc. because it’s something easy to do and they often deal with plenty of crap. Thanks for the Memorial Day reminder of the flag too. See you tomorrow.

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  27. Simple acts of kindness are so priceless! Also, you have such a wonderful Eco-system going around your place. It’s beautiful.

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    • Unemployment in Connecticut is very low. It’s not that people don’t want to work, but many have decided they don’t want to work retail or in food service. When restaurants were closed early in the pandemic, a lot of those people went back to school with the hope of finding a better job.

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  31. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted. Wise words, Aesop. You got to see that in action. Nice! I now know the name of the bushy white flowers, Moscow lilacs. Thanks for that. And, I taught my students that the American flag’s nickname is ‘Old Glory”.

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  32. Great post! Staffing is an issue in bars and restaurants as we seen here. Love the pictures! I thought moving to the Pacific Northwest would open the door to seeing different kinds of squirrels like you have, but no such luck! Same looking critters we had in LA! Have a great Memorial Day and week ahead!!

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