Confessions of a Recovering People-Pleaser Who Worked in Hospitality
Working a service job shows you the breadth of humanity, and I was pretty sick of people’s bullshit.
If there’s one thing I was proud of back then, it was being exactly what people needed: unassertive in relationships, appeasing in conflict, and passive in life. It made me the perfect servant — an employee of the month.
Clothed in tan bellhop attire akin to Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramírez from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, I was a front desk agent working in a tacky, themed casino. Gold and gaudy chandeliers draped every inch of the ceiling, the illusion of grandeur dissipating with each step taken further outside, where union members protested unfair working conditions while patrons bribed front desk agents inside for suite upgrades.
I didn’t think I’d hate weekends as a nineteen-year-old, but the allure of the city that never sleeps dwindled each time I worked a graveyard shift. From 9 pm-5 am, I’d check people of varying sobriety in and out, answer calls and questions, and do whatever I was told efficiently to hide my one fatal flaw: fear of conflict.
Hell on earth for an introvert is a career in hospitality or retail. I always looked forward to the beginning of…
