* A Story *

I am watching Princess Diaries 2 while I work. This is one of my favorite movies. It puts me in mind of something which happened to me, back in the day. Hence, a story....

I was attending my sister's wedding/reception at the Los Angeles Country Club. My father was a member. It's a gorgeous place, and probably one of the few (maybe the only) segregated clubs of its kind left anywhere. This was in 1997, so perhaps things have changed. To put it in a nutshell, when I was growing up and attending various functions at "the club," they still had lawn jockeys.

All of the wait staff were either Black or Mexican. I guess to be PC I should say African American and Hispanic. There are good people and bad people of every race, everywhere - being PC isn't something I spend a lot of time on. Anyway.....

I was being served a diet Coke, from the can. The waiter was pouring it into my glass of ice and somehow he lost his grip and ended up pouring a good portion of the drink onto my lap. I looked up at him, and before I could tell him it was okay, he began to stammer, in broken English, his apologies. I saw in his eyes a look that could only be described as terror. He looked like his entire employment life was flashing in front of him, and that he would certainly be fired. I told him several times it was not a big deal, and not to worry. I scurried off to the ladies room, where a nice lady helped me blot up the stain.

Shortly after I went outside, just in front of the main lobby doors. I spent a very enjoyable hour chatting with the doormen. In fact, that hour was the high point of the entire reception. Whenever I see examples of this type of "class" system (i.e., the movie I am watching), I think about that afternoon and the man who spilled diet Coke on me. I wonder how he is, where he is, and whether he kept his job.