The Best There Is, The Best There Was...
Well, I complain a lot about bar guests that drive me nuts in my restaurant. Sometimes warranted, sometimes maybe not so much, but the other day, I served the greatest guest a bar could ever have.
Live from Austin, my boy Odis Welch was in town.
It was good to see Odis. Luckily, I'll see him again tonight. He's in town for a Roger Creager concert we'll be hittin' tonight, and it'll be a damn blast! Maybe I'll throw some pictures up later.
Let me tell you one of my favorite things about Odis: he does things that don't always make sense to me. Follow me.
Here's an example: he and I are fraternity brothers in Phi Mu Alpha. All the brothers have a specific way we shake hands, nothing formal, simply something that's been passed on from year to year. Odis refuses to participate. When he shakes my hand, he gives me a firm grip, looks me in the eye, and makes sure I keep it simple. He REFUSES to give me the handshake in the same manner the other brothers do.
Another example: Odis wrote a blog several days ago about an experience he had drinking where he blacked out and woke up without a memory from the night before. Odis E. Welch then decided not to drink for three months.
The part that doesn't make sense to me was why only three months? Or why three months at all? Why not a week, or 72 days? Why not simply slow down and vow to only have one or two drinks when you go out?
When Odis came into the bar, I had the chance to ask him. His answer was exactly what I expected of Odis -- thought out.
He said he felt as though he'd been going too far, and simply wanted to prove to himself that he could go three months without a drink, if he wanted, and when he did start to drink again, he'd slowly build his tolerance back up.
To clarify, my favorite thing about Odis is his dedication, his wackiness, and his devotion to what he believes in. He's true to himself, and that deserves admiration.
You've all heard the ol' cliche, that you can do anything you put your mind to. Odis personifies that in every essence of the word.
He told me the other night that he's gonna have to go back to college to finish his degree because he wants a promotion at his job. The advancement requires a degree, and it's something he'd like to accomplish. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if Odis decides it's worth going for, he'll get it done.
Like I said earlier, the greatest bar guest came into my restaurant the other day, and he just happens to be one of my best friends.
March 22nd -- I plan to be there.
Labels: Friends, Odis Welch
