EDITOR”S NOTE: Rose Bruno Bailey spent a year working at Canters Deli, the dining spot on Fairfax Avenue that draws a substantial crowd from West Hollywood. This is the fourth in a series of six essays about her year there and the positive impact her boss, her co-workers and her customers had during a difficult time in her life.
Often it’s music that gets me through a difficult period. I walked to and home from Canters daily, never without the melody of music motivating my steps and lyrics inspiring me that life is beautiful despite my personal setbacks. One of my go-to songs is Bryan Adam’s “Summer of 69.” The line, “Ain’t no use in complaining when you got a job to do” resonated with me deeply. This was easy for me to accomplish daily but some days were more difficult than others, especially as the holidays approached.
What I loved about working at Canters Deli is it’s one of those places that has a magnetic energy field. You feel it the minute you walk through the doors, you feed off of the festive environment. That kind of electricity fires up your spirit as well as your appetite. As you wait for your table, you are surrounded by wholesome goodness, the bakery to the left and the deli to the right. Immediately your five senses digest the energy and deliciousness that is Canters Deli. All of the home made goodies are baked on premises, and more often than not you find yourself not only dining in but taking home a sweet treat for yourself or a gift for someone you love. With all of this merriment, it is almost impossible to feel down or in a bad mood even when major disappointments occur in your life. Got a crisis, go to Canter’s with a friend for conversation, coffee and my favorite, Chocolate Babka. I chose to work there.
I am a very high energy person so I find it difficult to dwell in a world that doesn’t have a pulse. I love the heart racing, fast pace friendliness that is Canters Deli. Not only was it a means to an end for me financially speaking, it was also the best escapism. I was able to make money, make friends, make connections with the guests and muse off of my new situation and surroundings. An optimist by nature, head waiter Greg once described me as dangerously optimistic. I thrive in bustling environments, and I was able to tune out of my financial problems and tune into my job and those around me. I believe I held myself together pretty well except a few minor meltdowns. I am an optimist but human first.
Working Thanksgiving and Christmas was not an easy compromise. When I was hired I understood the rules and with my husband’s unemployment I needed to keep us afloat. Each interview he had come back with yet another rejection, and the holidays were beginning to look a little joyless. We were sure he landed this one particular job but it was not meant to be. I had to be happy not only for myself but to keep him from that dreaded unemployment depression. As the days grew darker and shorter, my disposition was losing its luster as the sun faded into night. I had to remind myself I was where I wanted to be in West Hollywood, where every day felt like a holiday to me. I held on to the one thing that keeps us all going, hope, and tried not to lose my sense of gratitude. Sometimes I needed reminders.
There is an old saying, ask and you shall receive. One Sunday a quiet and unassuming gentleman sat at my counter, ordered a corned beef sandwich and potato salad. As he got up to go pay, he looked me directly in the eye, smiled and told me everything was going to work out. He had no idea of my situation nor the fact that I was struggling that particular moment. A smile and message from a stranger felt like a bit of a miracle on a bleak December day.
A few days later I waited on a mother and her young son. They were having a treat together, egg creams and grilled cheese sandwiches with French fries. The boy was busy drawing a picture, and he handed it to me as a gift. He drew me a smile tree and explained each part of the tree was a smile, and each person builds the tree by sharing a smile with someone else; Together we build a smile tree.
I believe in signs and I believe I was given holiday lessons that December at Canters that got me through my own personal pity party. It brought me back to what was really important; gratitude, kindness and a smile for others. I went forward with holiday glee instead of gloom for the remainder of the holiday season. I gifted everyone I encountered at Canters kindness with a smile and I received many in return. Together we build a smile tree, together we light up the world.
Tomorrow: Seasons and survivors.
Enjoying your story Rose.