I’ve had a lot of different jobs in my lifetime – editor, writer, dishwasher, cook – but the one I loved best was being a waitress. Even though it paid nothing, and I was on my feet all day. In fact, there are moments today – for instance, if I’m walking past a diner or a Dunkin’ – when I still want to pour coffee and sling pie.

I know this is a little weird since I’m not exactly young anymore.  So, instead of going out and actually applying for a job as a server, I decided to write an essay about it, exploring all the reasons why.

When The Inquisitive Eater-New School Food said they wanted to publish it, I was over the moon. For real. I am so grateful to them for giving it such a beautiful home—and to all the people who read it and wrote to tell me amazing waitress stories of their own.

I don’t usually dedicate my essays, but if I did, this one would be for Julia Roberts in Mystic Pizza and Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, who brought such joy to those roles of waiting on tables.

To read the story, click here. And next time you’re in a restaurant, remember to tip big!