One Sunday

I’m sitting at a bar in West Hollywood, the intersection of Robertson and Santa Monica. It’s Sunday evening and I’m asking a middle-aged bartender for my 4th beer in less than an hour! I’m pleasantly dizzy but alert and I kind of know that I shouldn’t drink more for the time being. The bartender returns with a glass of water, saying “no more beer for you!”

I had seen such scenes in movies and always used to think “who on earth would do that while they could earn more money?!” and in reality most bartenders don’t care much about the well-being of their customers, but this guy did. He wasn’t there just to sell drinks and collect tips. He was there for people to make sure they had a good time and, of course, they would come back the next week.