Të mendimtar

I joined my father for dinner at his frequented diner this evening. The diner is owned and operated by a lovely Albanian couple, Gjek (Jack) and Roza, and has been in business for roughly 8 years.

Roza is the star of the show with her loving personality and her warm and bright smile - even if she's overworked, stressed, or in pain she still greets everyone with that award winning smile. Gjek, depicted above, is a fun loving and goofy soul and is always messing around with those with a good sense of humor.

My very first job as a young lad was in the restaurant industry and I'll be the first to tell you restaurant work is nasty, stressful, and exhausting. Both Gjek and Roza openly admit that this isn't their ideal work but you wouldn't be able to tell that through their actions alone. They're hard workers and they give it their all each and everyday - closing only for Christmas. This drive and determination comes from the very fact that this is their business and theirs alone. Having a place that literally has your name on the door and your family's reputation residing in the full stomachs of regular customers is what gets them out of bed on a daily basis, only to bear that dreadful stress and exhaustion in the name of pride.

Behind that tough exterior, Gjek is hiding some personal stresses associated with sickened family members hundreds, if not thousands, of miles on the other side of the planet. As he slips into deep thought, he wishes he could be there with his family during these troubling times. Sadly, however, he's not able to be there and his support and love can only come in the form of well wishes via voice communications.

Great company and people, determination, pride, and perseverance are what made this blip today. More to come...