I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

After my job at Day’s Inn, I worked at Wendy’s in Georgetown.  This would have been 1983 or so.  I worked there until my second year of college.  I have no idea why I didn’t learn to wait tables, or pursue something more lucrative.  

The Wendy’s is still there. 

But Wendy’s it was.  

Back in the day, the orders were all called over the microphone.  You had to keep up with 2 small fries, 3 large fries, 4 medium fries.  All the while, dropping more fries, trying not to sweat in the fryer.  

Fun Fact:  Only girls were allowed to work the cash register.  They felt that guys didn’t give the right vibe.  Occasionally, they’d let us work drive thru, but usually, only after the dinner rush.  

Fun Fact #2.  I was working at Wendy’s when they introduced the baked potato.  That was also the responsibility of the fry guy.  

I never graduated to grill.  It was hard.  And took talent.  Or so we were told.  

It is true the hamburgers are never frozen.  

Until they are past well done. 

Then they are tossed into pickle buckets and frozen to make chili.

  The chili is delicious.  But its gross to know how its made.    

At some point, my favorite manager Annie, who was a pint size, hellion, who chained smoked in the office, was transferred to the North Park location in Lexington.  

It is also still there.  

I followed her to Lexington.

By this time, I was in college.

Annie and I got a long great, until someone very high up, decided we should be open till 3:00 a.m.  I protested.  I told everyone else to protest.  You can’t stay open if no one will work.

I lost, and not long after I quit, because you can’t be at work till 4:00 a.m. and attend a 9:00 a.m. class the next day.  

However, this is not the point of the story.  

It’s 1984.

I’m in college.  

I knew I was gay.  I’d known for a long time.  

By then I’d had my first experiences.  

But.

No one knew.  

NO ONE.  

One night, I had the privilege of working the drive thru and a cute boy comes through with his friends.  He flirts with me.  I with him.  

He gives me his number and tells me to call him.  I call him 2 hours later.  

I ended up at his house that night.  

He was super cute.  Super sweet.  And lived with a drag queen.  

For the next 3 weeks, I spent a lot of time with him at his apartment.  And I’d stop by the Video Village, to help him close before we ended up back at his apartment.

Fun fact:  My friend Todd Lacy from UK was also working at Video Village at the same time, although we never met.  

Fast forward 3 weeks, and the cute boy lets me know that we will not be an item.  I’m too young and too inexperienced.  

Looking back, he was absolutely correct.

In the moment, I was crushed.  I’d never been broken up with before. 

I moped around for several weeks.

One night, after work at Wendy’s, I was sitting outside in the summer evening, sitting on the curb talking with a co-worked at 3:00 in the morning.  

We had just closed.  

As a teenager, and young adult,  I used to love late night chats.  

I remember vividly a very late-night chat on the Garth Elementary swings with my friend Jayne Sadlon, as we contemplated life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I digress.  

So.

There I am, sitting on the curb with Tammy, my co-worker from Wendy’s and I felt the urge to say the words and I brought the conversation to a point, where I said to her, just so you know I’m gay. 

I was terrified.  I was a convinced she’d tell everyone.  I was convinced I’d be disowned. 

It was the first time I’d spoken the words out loud to anyone.  

But nothing happened.  

She confided that she too was gay. 

And we talked for about an hour. 

And I got into my car and drove home.

About 6 weeks later, at the beginning of my sophomore year of college, I pledged a fraternity.

Yes.  

I WAS IN A FRATERNITY.  

It’s true.  

With secret handshakes.  And chants.  And hazing.  

Brotherhood forever.  

Part of the hazing one weekend, was to do a scavenger hunt.

1 item on the list was to get the signature of the bartender of Johnny Angels, the gay bar in Lexington.  It too, is still there under the name of The Bar Complex.  

I forget who I was with, but in I went and marched up to the bar, and asked for the bartender’ss signature.

And a person to my right said, what are you two cuties doing in here.

I turn and it’s my brief boyfriend’s roommate.  

I do wish I could remember her name.  

I smile and say, doing a scavenger hunt with a look that could kill.

She very kindly told us to have fun, be safe and turned back to her drink.  

I will remember that moment of kindness forever.