Shem Creek (Continued)

That was Louise Waring. Who's she? Well, Louise is the greatest woman in the world, that's all. She runs the kitchen, everybody and everything. She's the chef when Duane takes days off, and the assistant chef when he's here. She is capable of almost anything, thank God. Shoot, just last week she stopped a knife fight in the kitchen between a busboy and a dishwasher. Seems one guy made a slanderous remark about the dubious nature of the other's birth, which was followed by a reference to the other fellow's lewd preference for his mother. Well, after that, the conversation switched to Spanish and could have escalated to life-threatening situation, but Louise stepped in and threatened to call the police. It's a good thing our customers don't know what goes on in the kitchen. It's bad enough what goes on in the dining room!

Rock bottom? It's almost embarrassing to tell you how I got there, but I've been thinking about it a lot. I figure that if I can save some other poor son of a gun from the hell I went through then it's worth it to put my pride aside. No, I've come to some very new conclusions and it all began with becoming separated from Loretta and going broke. I was forty-two, a smart fellow (or so I thought) with a platinum resume and suddenly I didn't have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of, like my grandfather used to say. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Look, you'll have to excuse me for just a few minutes. This interview shouldn't take very long. And, when I get back, I'll tell you why simplifying life is such a beautiful thing. Yep, think like an Indian and keep it simple. Just hold that thought.