Asking My Customers For Life Advice

I asked the customers of the restaurant I'm a server at to give me life advice. Here's the advice they had to offer to me.

I work as a server in a very touristy location in Boston. I meet multitudes of different types of people from around the country and the world. It’s always interesting to meet new people, and I love listening to what they have to say. I decided to practice some journalism during this busy work loaded summer by asking some of my customers for life advice. Here is their life advice for me, a 19 year old college student living in Boston.

*Some quotes have been edited for clarity.

From a cute older couple who was visiting from Germany

They knew very little English, but still were more than willing to answer my question.
“Always look on the bright side.”

From Massachusetts, a mom with her three daughters.

“Always laugh,” and “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Originally from Massachusetts, a mother visiting her daughter in Boston from North Carolina

From mom, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” and “You’ll sleep when you die.”
From her daughter, “Always go what makes you happy even if it hurts someone else” and “It’s always 12 o’clock somewhere [to start drinking].”

From Israel, an older couple with a good sense of humor, but when asked for life advice, got very serious.

“Do what you have to do to be comfortable, but for all the rest, have fun, do what you want. Life is short.”

From Connecticut, a mom and her teenage daughter.

“Wear comfortable shoes.”

From Wisconsin, two older, lively couples.

“Keep it up, and keep it honest.”
“Find something you really like to do because you’re going to be working your entire life, and you might as well enjoy it.”

From Ireland, a couple on vacation

“Drink pints of Guinness”

From Massachusetts, a couple with one baby, celebrating the husband’s birthday

“Pay your taxes”
“Don’t focus on boys and boyfriends, and don’t chase after guys. Focus on your friends.”
-I jokingly ask her if she was referring to her husband, and she responded that she got very lucky with him, which was lovely to hear.
“Wait to have kids.”

From Pennsylvania, a family with two kids

“First gut, then heart, and then mind.”
“Always trust in yourself, not anyone else, even family.”
“Don’t give up to easy. If there’s something you want to do, see it through.”

From New York, a couple on a date night, expecting a baby.

“Go to Vegas”
“It could always be worse”
“Don’t take any shit from a man”

From Massachusetts, a couple

“Always be strong.”

From Rhode Island, an older couple

“Have as much fun as you can, while you can.”

From Alabama

“Don’t eat yellow snow”
I got this so often. Whenever you put people on the spot to give you life advice, this is somehow the quickest thing they can think of.

There you have it folks! Little snippets of life advice coming to you from my tables.