I consider myself a good tipper. Not good as in “suave.” No. I’m as awkward as they come. I can’t do it without looking like a tool unless it’s an easy “fill out the tip on the receipt” kind of tip. But I do try to tip well because it’s a way to give directly to the person working hard. I rarely give less than 20%.
The other day I took my boys to eat. I tipped my regular 20%. My 17yo son left some additional money on the table.
I should mention my son isn’t wealthy. His money is hard earned. He’s a barista at Starbucks. He’s paying off a car, saving for tuition, and he doesn’t have money to throw around. And yet he left money.
I told him I tip well. He could have kept the money. He informed me that it’s better to leave cash because often businesses will take the credit card fee out of the tip, leaving the server less than what was intended.
He also told me that he knows just how hard it is to work in a place like that. He knows you get bad customers, and those bad customers yell at you. Or talk down to you. And all you can do is smile and continue to offer good customer service to people who maybe don’t deserve it.
And so he left a little more. And he did it with cash.
When you experience something, you know and understand that thing better than one who has not. I consider myself a good tipper, but my son is an even better one. Because he’s experienced both sides.
I say all of that so that I can say this. If you want to see what love, acceptance, and support really looks like, you might consider attending your local Pride parade/rally. I try to be an ally. I try to show love and support to everybody. But I’ve never been on the other side. I’ve never gone through those trying experiences that come from being LGBTQ.
Over the past few years I’ve gotten to know this community a little better. They know love, acceptance, forgiveness, and support. They live love, acceptance, forgiveness, and support every day. They are tireless in their efforts to show that love.
Here in Salt Lake, our Pride festival is June 1-2. Other cities in the state have them later in the year. If you’ve never been, I’d encourage you to go. It’s a beautiful thing.
