'It's very busy here. Yes. Yes I will. It's our pleasure.' the host was saying on the phone at the fancy coastal hotel I had taken my son to eat breakfast, for our relaxed, no-reservations one-day-early Easter celebration for just us two. He was talking to his boss, who thought he was doing nothing. I could tell, I'm intuitive, and I just know. I smiled.
We had to wait in the lounge before our table was ready.
This is a five-star hotel.
At the five-star range, money is like monopoly-money. It almost doesn't exist because the hotel charges what they want, and the guests act like they don't care. The rooms here--the worst view ones--are six-hundred-ninety-five dollars a night.
That's why we ate breakfast only, and did not stay at the hotel for the night. No matter how much my son asked for me to book us a room. The place is very beautiful.
I like the view.
It was also a 'do-over' for me. My first Easter without my boy (he was at his other side of the family, and I wasn't invited), I cried. My girlfriend took me here, and we ate by the pool. The views were amazing, and they really lifted my spirits up.
In the picture, above, of my place setting, the flatware is silver-plate, and heavy. The to-go cup has free lavender Earl Grey tea with Bonne Maman honey in it, and a little cream. The 'banana bread' is vanilla square that was free from the Chef. So is the water--Free.
So here you have free food and hot beverage with an ocean view, and silver flatwear, too!
Why does it take enormous amounts of money for people to be nice to each other, and to share nice things?
They actually screwed up my order, big time. I ordered the huckleberry-pine nut crepes, to go with my Kir Royale, and I got a huge stack of pancakes. I am like, 'What's this?' They said, 'You ordered pancakes.' I said, 'No I didn't, I ordered the crepes.'
The waiter apologized profusely (a different person brings the food to your table at places like this). He offered to comp me for it.
But when the bill came, he didn't comp me.
I pointed it out and asked, politely, 'Didn't you say you were going to comp me?' (the dish was seventeen dollars)
He denied it.
I accepted it and said, 'Okay, fine, I'll pay for it. No problem.'
And he said, 'Unless you want me to comp you.'
I said, 'No, no, no, that's okay' because I could tell he really needed the money. You should have seen them taking off the jam and the syrup (real maple!) from the table before I had a chance to think about taking them home! I decided not to, even though I really wanted to, just to be nice.
When the bill came, he did comp me, for my drink. I was like, okay, and he ended up getting about that much in a tip, because the rest of the meal was certainly NOT for free.
See this lady to the right? Why is she sitting there? Does she look like she is having fun? Can she swim? I don't think she doesn't enjoy sand, or the ocean. Is she following some rule someone told her is what we do (in her native country)?
I don't know.
But to me, her behavior is very much like the reverse of the luxury hotel. She is the only one who is not participating in the fun at the beach. You should have seen the African-American family making a beautiful picture of their daughter on the rock in a mermaid costume for her birthday--she looked about three. And you should have see the Mexican grandmother (this is common coastal access, Treasure Cove Beach) who was like, 'I am having just as much fun as those rich people for FREE!' with her umbrella and chair she brought with her family from home. There was an artist making an Easter Bunny on the beach in the sand as a sculpture--for free. Most of the guests at the hotel were white, middle eastern, and asian...and very well-to-do.
The luxury hotel says, 'This is the only pocket of really great service and luxury' and everyone else can't have fun.
That doesn't make sense.
Shouldn't we all take super good care of each other, and ourselves, and have five-star service every chance we can give it or receive it?
Isn't the service up to us? Even with paper napkins and plates, the concern and caring and attention to detail can be present if we wish it to be so.
We can make it look nice. And neat. And clean.
Yesterday I waited at a local drug store because my son was in the restroom. Did you know minimum wage is $7.50 an hour--and that's before taxes and union dues?
Who can live on that? Rents in the area are SUPER expensive! People need to have two and three jobs to make ends meet.
If you ask me, this whole money thing is really jacked up.
It gives us the excuse to think less of ourselves, and to treat others better or worse depending on how much money they have!
Ewwwww!
That's not how things work in Heaven.
And soon, that's not how things are going to work down here on earth, too.
Hold on to your hats!
Aloha and Mahalos,
Namaste,
Peace,
Reiki Doc and Ross <3
This was the one for which I paid
This was free!