Introducing myself to my newest table – you, the reader

And I hope you come back.

For me, writing is an escape from the stressful and unnerving times in my life. It’s what I wrote about in my college admissions essay, and it has stayed true four whole years later. The day after the election – a scary, horrifying day – I wrote one of my best stories to date. A recent moment at college when I had so much on my plate I thought I’d explode, ended in a snappy, catchy The White Lotus review. So, if you don’t know me, this is a good way to understand me.

That’s what brings me to you now – I just graduated from college with a journalism degree, and for the first time in my life, I don’t know what comes next.

But I do know what comes next at my serving job back at home. That’s for sure. I’m a master at rolling silverware, I can successfully carry a tray of six beverages without spilling (most of the time), and I’m exceptional at connecting with my customers. But the writing job, the one where I can use all the skills I learned in college and scratch the creative itch that never stops itching… that hasn’t come along quite yet.

So… welcome to Table Talk, the place where the writer and the server meet. And the place where you, the reader, can be a part of my journey, which consists mainly of menu requests, pitch ideas, and the newest episode of Love Island I will watch after my shift. I do hope it provides a level of entertainment for you, though, because serving jobs are very dramatic and filled with funny stories, and so am I.

This isn’t about the food at the restaurant where I serve. It’s also not exclusively about my shifts or my struggling job search. Table Talk is every thought I would sit down and tell my friends if we sat down at a table in a restaurant, preferably not the one I work at. It’s about the mix of hope and burnout I feel as I navigate this time, knowing I desire more, but not quite knowing what that is yet. It’s about the interactions with the people at the tables, the ones who become confidants and friends – even networking contacts – and the ones that challenge me the same way my career will. It’s about the person who ate at Table 42 last Friday night and told me that my Substack must be called “Table Talk” and another who assured me that with time, all my dreams would come true.

If you’re a new grad, this is a safe place for you. If you’re a server, you’ll relate to this so intensely it’ll feel like your own shift diary. If you’re both, like me, and sometimes feel like you spend more time being a small part of other people’s moments – like birthdays and first dates – than writing out your moments, then pull up a chair. And if you’re neither, then let me introduce myself to you and tell you tonight’s specials: an honest weekly (or more) blog, a guaranteed laugh every once in a while, and perhaps a shared therapy session.