I have spent much of my life being a workaholic. I have always had a strong work ethic, but when something was bothering me I would bury myself in work, and sort through things while I was working.

When I was a troubleshooter for a restaurant chain, I put in a ton of hours. I worked a 12 week stretch, 18–21 hours a day with no days off. By the end, I have a 2 week period that I simply do not remember.

I was based at one location, and when not taking care of problems at other locations, then I did whatever was needed at my base store.

The last night I worked on that stretch, I was working as a server. They were short handed, and I had a station of 12 tables. I was going to be there from 11pm until 5 am, then head to another location to help them from 6am-2pm with some training.

I had never dropped food or drinks. I was pretty lucky that way. We did not then have the large trays that are now used to carry plates of food out, you either learned to carry multiple plates, or you had others help you carry food out.

It was nearly midnight. I had a table of 4. They all ordered steak and shrimp dinners. I could easily carry 2 dinner plates in each hand without the food touching another plate.

The order came up, I grabbed the plates and took off for the table. I stopped in the middle server station, set 2 plates down, grabbed cocktail sauce and steak sauce. I put them in the pocket of my apron, grabbed the plates, turned and took off at full speed and ran smack into the doorway.

I hit that doorway so hard I literally saw stars.

Plates of food went flying over my head… the customers were repeat customers… they gave me a standing ovation… clapping and whistling.

I was doubled over…laughing. When I get really tickled, I don’t make noise, I can’t talk… I just have tears streaming down my face from laughing. This is exactly what I was doing.

My boss happened to be working that night. He also happened to be doing paperwork at a table on the other side of the server station and saw me hit the doorway. He was fairly new, and I really didn’t know him all that well at that time.

He quietly said… “Boy, did you just run into a wall?”

All I could do was nod my head.

He said, “Are you hurt?”

All I could do was shake my head no.

There was a slight pause.

Then he said, “Are you laughing?”

All I could do was again nod my head.

I heard him sigh. He came over, took my order ticket from my pocket, and went back to the kitchen pass through.

I just about had my composure, when I heard a cook yell, “What do you mean she ran into a wall!?!”

I completely lost my composure again and once again the tears began from my laughter.

My boss came back and said, “Boy, go home.”

I could by this time speak, and said, “What do you mean? This is the beginning of my shift.”

He said, “I know, but I can’t stand you now, let alone 5 hours from now… go home.”

The look on his face and the words made me laugh even more. He just smiled.

My order came up, and he pushed me down into a seat and told me to sit still and don’t move.

He took the order out to the table, then walked by again, and told me, without looking at me to stay where I was.

10 minutes later, he came back, glared at me as I stood talking to customers.

He waved me over to him.

He then told me that he had made calls, and that I was to go home, and not be seen for the next 3 days.

I went home and slept for 30 hours straight.

After I returned, he was back on days. I worked there at nights.

The first morning he saw me, he came in and I was laughing with a customer.

He rolled his eyes at me and said, “Shush up Boy, go home, go to sleep. It’s a beautiful day, go sleep at the pool.”

I stopped. That actually sounded like one heck of an idea.

I went home, jumped in the shower, then put on my swimsuit. I headed to the pool, found a comfortable lounge chair, and fell asleep.

For 5 hours.

Much to the vast enjoyment of my customers, I went in to work that night, and put up with the laughs of everyone as I approached them.

My boss walked in the next morning.

He took one look at me, dropped his suitcase, and doubled over laughing.

I pointed my finger at him and told him that this was his fault.

He looked confused and asked how.

Mimicking his voice I said, “Shut up Boy, go home, go to sleep. It’s a nice day… go sleep at the pool.”

He then burst out laughing again.

I rolled my eyes at him and left.

I went home, once again showered and again put my swimsuit on.

I grabbed a towel to avoid burning so bad I wouldn’t be able to walk, found that same chair, covered myself with the towel.

I smiled.

But noticed I've come to love this man , I decided to serve him diligently.

Productivity thrives when there's a good work relationship.

I have spent much of my life being a workaholic. I have always had a strong work ethic, but when something was bothering me I would bury myself in work, and sort through things while I was working.

When I was a troubleshooter for a restaurant chain, I put in a ton of hours. I worked a 12 week stretch, 18–21 hours a day with no days off. By the end, I have a 2 week period that I simply do not remember.

I was based at one location, and when not taking care of problems at other locations, then I did whatever was needed at my base store.

The last night I worked on that stretch, I was working as a server. They were short handed, and I had a station of 12 tables. I was going to be there from 11pm until 5 am, then head to another location to help them from 6am-2pm with some training.

I had never dropped food or drinks. I was pretty lucky that way. We did not then have the large trays that are now used to carry plates of food out, you either learned to carry multiple plates, or you had others help you carry food out.

It was nearly midnight. I had a table of 4. They all ordered steak and shrimp dinners. I could easily carry 2 dinner plates in each hand without the food touching another plate.

The order came up, I grabbed the plates and took off for the table. I stopped in the middle server station, set 2 plates down, grabbed cocktail sauce and steak sauce. I put them in the pocket of my apron, grabbed the plates, turned and took off at full speed and ran smack into the doorway.

I hit that doorway so hard I literally saw stars.

Plates of food went flying over my head… the customers were repeat customers… they gave me a standing ovation… clapping and whistling.

I was doubled over…laughing. When I get really tickled, I don’t make noise, I can’t talk… I just have tears streaming down my face from laughing. This is exactly what I was doing.

My boss happened to be working that night. He also happened to be doing paperwork at a table on the other side of the server station and saw me hit the doorway. He was fairly new, and I really didn’t know him all that well at that time.

He quietly said… “Boy, did you just run into a wall?”

All I could do was nod my head.

He said, “Are you hurt?”

All I could do was shake my head no.

There was a slight pause.

Then he said, “Are you laughing?”

All I could do was again nod my head.

I heard him sigh. He came over, took my order ticket from my pocket, and went back to the kitchen pass through.

I just about had my composure, when I heard a cook yell, “What do you mean she ran into a wall!?!”

I completely lost my composure again and once again the tears began from my laughter.

My boss came back and said, “Boy, go home.”

I could by this time speak, and said, “What do you mean? This is the beginning of my shift.”

He said, “I know, but I can’t stand you now, let alone 5 hours from now… go home.”

The look on his face and the words made me laugh even more. He just smiled.

My order came up, and he pushed me down into a seat and told me to sit still and don’t move.

He took the order out to the table, then walked by again, and told me, without looking at me to stay where I was.

10 minutes later, he came back, glared at me as I stood talking to customers.

He waved me over to him.

He then told me that he had made calls, and that I was to go home, and not be seen for the next 3 days.

I went home and slept for 30 hours straight.

After I returned, he was back on days. I worked there at nights.

The first morning he saw me, he came in and I was laughing with a customer.

He rolled his eyes at me and said, “Shush up Boy, go home, go to sleep. It’s a beautiful day, go sleep at the pool.”

I stopped. That actually sounded like one heck of an idea.

I went home, jumped in the shower, then put on my swimsuit. I headed to the pool, found a comfortable lounge chair, and fell asleep.

For 5 hours.

Much to the vast enjoyment of my customers, I went in to work that night, and put up with the laughs of everyone as I approached them.

My boss walked in the next morning.

He took one look at me, dropped his suitcase, and doubled over laughing.

I pointed my finger at him and told him that this was his fault.

He looked confused and asked how.

Mimicking his voice I said, “Shut up Boy, go home, go to sleep. It’s a nice day… go sleep at the pool.”

He then burst out laughing again.

I rolled my eyes at him and left.

I went home, once again showered and again put my swimsuit on.

I grabbed a towel to avoid burning so bad I wouldn’t be able to walk, found that same chair, covered myself with the towel.

I smiled.

But noticed I've come to love this man , I decided to serve him diligently.

Productivity thrives when there's a good work relationship.