Thursday, January 05, 2012

October 14th

I posted the below on Facebook on October 14th of last year. I meant to expand on it here but don't really have anything else to say. Facebook is too ephemeral and this I want to remember.

I found out tonight that my favorite old man bartender from my favorite dive bar retired this past July. He was someone who didn't like anyone so when you gained his trust or at least diminished his contempt, you felt like you had achieved something. He had great stories of what it was like growing up in the midwest in the early / mid-20th century and he made me feel better about getting old. He had a sense of gravitas and dignity that younger bartenders (hell, people for that matter) just don't have.

I'll never see him again, but worst yet, I never got a chance to tell him "thank you."


4 comments:

Iva said...

It is good to see you adding to your blog again. I have missed you. I am sorry that the bartender with whom you had established a "link" (for want of a better word) has retired. Do you think that he will have contact with his former place of work? Perhaps if you left a message with someone there, it would be passed on to him.
That way, he might hear of your esteem for him.
Mom

Anonymous said...

I re-read this today with a special poignancy, John. May he rest in peace.

Iva said...

I guess you know that the comment is mine.
Mom

the hanged man said...

Thank you. Yes, I figured the comment was your's. I was also relieved that it was a spam message offering to sell designer clothes at an incredible discount, which is what most of the recent comments have been. (I delete them as soon as I see them).