Same Town, Different Story (Blog #4)

    In many ways, I find it much easier to relate to Trudi than to find differences between us. I feel personality wise Trudi is someone that I admire how down Earth and genuine she is. From a physical standpoint, Trudi has a light skin African American woman. She has a gray buzz cut and tiny square glasses. I am white, with long light brown wavy hair and large square clear glasses. When I look at Trudi, sure we have physical differences but thinking about nonphysical differences has been a little bit of a challenge.

    I have worked at an upscale farm-to-table restaurant named Semolina for the past five years. I began this job as a busser, where I would bring food to tables, polish silverware, and re-set tables. I had little interaction dealing with issues that customers may have had. Fast forward a year, and I switched into more of a hostess role. This meant that I was to take calls, resolve any issues that customers may have had, and take the brunt of any complaints customers had as they walked in the door. I look at myself as a very patient person however this job has tested me beyond belief.

    Trudi on the other hand handles any issues from customers with no resentment. The patience and composure she maintains at a job where many customers can be high maintenance is a skill that many struggle with. As a barista, she is able to handle the complaints from customers and continue to do her job. She has been a barista for over 20 years because of her thick skin which she is able to wear despite any complaints she may receive. 

    I had an amazing childhood in Fair Haven. There are great school systems and a strong sense of community. However, once I got to high school, I was ready for more. I knew that I wanted to get out of the bubble. I wanted more for my life. I wanted to go to California for college because that was the furthest I could go. I wanted a change of environment, change in people, and truthfully people that I could relate to more. I am now a junior at Loyola and am ready to pursue my dream of being a teacher. As for Trudi, after high school, she did not attend college. I don't know any reasoning behind this, I am also aware that college isn't an option for everyone and many don't want to attend.

    Trudi always has a smile on her face at Booskerdoo or whatever coffee shop has been there. She remains in the same house that she grew up in and hasn't left. My goal is to stay in Baltimore and teach there. I know that I always have a place to call home in Fair Haven, New Jersey, however, I am ready to move onto a new chapter of my life. I am not sure what Trudi had a passion for when she grew up. As for myself, I have known since I was a little kid that teaching is where my heart was at. As a barista, Trudi has made this job a career and has continued to build her life by making coffee and giving back to the community in that sense. 

    Trudi attended school with my dad. This means that she is obviously much older than I am. Age doesn’t matter to me in the sense that I have built a friendship with Trudi and I always enjoy the time I spend conversing with her. We both attended Rumson - Fair Haven Regional High School about 30 years or so apart. Our age puts us in different stages of life where she is not married or in any relationship. She has no children and lives at home with her mother still. 

    I know for certain that she has one dog named Bailey. Bailey is a beagle that is about six years old. I have two dogs named Coco and Lizzie but they are almost 13 years old. We both enjoy having pets but dogs that are very different. Her dog Bailey is super calm and a very easygoing dog. As for my two dogs, even being of older age, they are very high-energy tiny little dogs with big personalities. 

    Furthermore, Fair Haven is a predominantly white, upper-middle-class small town. When Trudi was growing up there was a little bit more diversity. However, when I attended high school there was about 1% of diversity in my graduating class. I was very fortunate to grow up in such a special but also upper-middle-class job. Trudi and I live in the same town however come from very different backgrounds regardless of living in the same town. Trudi had many friends that were African American. I did not have the same experience in Fair Haven. 

    As mentioned before, Trudi was raised by generations above her. The women in her life were what helped her get through school and so on. Her mom and her grandmother raised her. I have never heard of a father that has been present in Trudi's life. I grew up with my mom, dad, and my sister. My parents have now split since being a child but I grew up with my sister and having a father figure in the picture. Additionally, Trudi did not have any siblings and was an only child her whole life. 

    For many reasons, it is much easier to think about the ways that I relate to Trudi. I had to think long and hard about our differences because I feel that Trudi and I get along well because we have similar personalities. We both care for others and show genuine interest in the lives of others. Her patience above all is something that I struggle with, especially in the restaurant business with customers.