I've been in the city for more than a month now and I've barely experienced life outside of my work place. The city has robbed me of sleep, stressed me out with canker sores, and dished me a liberal serving of the hard knocks. Though I think I've handled myself well, it's been bumpy transition.
I mentioned last week that I was the victim of theft. Friends have jokingly asked in the recent past if I've received my first New York mugging, and while I haven't been held at gunpoint, I have been robbed by an acquaintance, which is almost worse. Somewhere in my group of coworkers is a thief, a thief that is $400 dollars richer with a two forms of my identity and a bus pass that will expire in October. After my new iPod was stolen out of the bottom of my large bag in the employee locker room in the beginning of August (it was wrapped in a T-shirt) I started carrying everything of importance in my apron, but this measure wasn't even precautions enough. I was trying to open the restaurant and I removed my apron when I was doing some cleaning. I placed it on a booth seat where I could see it and went about my opening duties. Ten minutes later, after I finished my tasks and made a coffee, my apron had been emptied of my clasp wallet. Even after management scoured the restaurant and checked every employees' locker and pockets, my wallet wasn't found.
I could have quit. I wanted to quit. I even threatened that I was going to quit, but the little voice of reason told me that wasn't a good idea. After the incident happened I left for the day, cried a little bit, and gave myself a pep talk while everyone else in my phonebook was at work. New York City is not to be trusted, but that doesn't mean I have to let it ruin my time here. It's making me a more aware, tough person, and that's what I need, especially in the restaurant industry. New York City isn't going to own me. This is my year to learn all that I seek and I know I must accept that each day will inevitably present a new challenge. Bring it.
