The Bartender

the bartender gets more patients than any shrink could ever dream of & the ability to stay with them through bouts of loneliness, guilt, extreme sadnesses & self-destruction, make her/him more worthy of an APA award at the very least--- the bartender is a legal dealer who supplies the addicted with their drug of choice but who also holds the power to cut them off & throw them out--- a curious position to be in, her/his own problems must be left at the door or behind the counter, strolling in round 4 pm for another night until the wee hours being the biggest, lowest priced listening ear in the city. bartenders have a thousand reasons for doing what they do, for ending up where they are or for using bartending as a venue to something else, always quoting like waiters & waitresses in NYC, “this is just what i do for money,” insisting to the onlooker that there is a light at the end of the tunnel--- but the bartender takes it all home, much like a shrink, again, they know all the stories & instead of seeing people get better, they see them get worse--- some may even get the opportunity to see someone drink themselves to death & how that sits with the bartender is only the business of the bartender--- at the end of the day, if you work at a joint with live music, ya get to hear some good stuff for free (along with the bad) & if you work at a place with live comedy, sometimes you can get free laughs throughout the evening--- if you’re lucky.