You Never Know.

This post is dedicated to Mike, the excellent server at Olive Garden.  From the last post, I briefly mentioned that I had a discussion with Mike, but I was saving it for today's post because I had an excellent article that I had to share, so this is the story of what happened.

My family, excluding my father who played paint ball instead of eating out, went to the Olive Garden.  We were seated very rapidly and in a lovely booth.  (Please note, this is not a sappy review of Olive Garden; it is the story behind meeting Mike.  If you want to read a post by an elderly woman who loves the "authentic" experiences of Olive Garden, click here).  The environment was calm and boring until Mike arrives and shines on our entire experience.  Mike was a very sociable, middle-aged man.  He was very enthusiastic in his work.  He eagerly gives recommendations, refills, and stories.  He was originally from New York City until he moved to Los Angeles, California, to skateboard with the professionals such as Tony Hawk.  However, he unfortunately injures himself, moves back to New York City, and becomes a bartender.  He visits his mother occasionally who resides in Cleveland, Tennessee, and eventually meets his future wife there as well, and he happily lives ever after at the Olive Garden.  When I ordered my meal, I asked him if the meal came with any meat.  He responded with a no, and I knew, in the way he responded, that he knew that I was a vegetarian.

Mike asked me if I was a vegetarian.  I nodded, and then he asks me how long I had been a vegetarian. I then tell him that I had been a vegetarian for five days.  He then tells me that he was a vegetarian!  I finally found someone who was also a vegetarian that I did not originally know.  Remember, I came from a small, conservative city.  Vegetarianism is rarer than Paula Dean cooking good food.  I proceed to ask him how long he was a vegetarian.  He tells me that he was a vegetarian for five years and a vegan for two years!  If anyone is an expert on vegetarianism, it is my waiter at the Olive Garden.  He then proceeds to tell me on how the Bible is pro-vegetarian due to the first couple of chapters in Genesis.  He then tells me the story of how he ate a turkey sub after being a vegan for two years.  The story ends with the turkey going down and then "gobbling" its way back up.  Our waiter did an excellent job, and we payed him accordingly.  I'm still in shock that my interview for my project came from an Olive Garden waiter, but that is why people must network.  People never know who they are going to meet.