Barmen Are Therapists
Barmen don’t write books, for the same reason why cabbies don’t publish stories about the ‘fare.’ I was very upset the first time I heard a taxi driver calling me a fare. I thought I was a passenger.
Barmen probably don’t write books because of non-disclosure clauses, like the one Tiger Woods the golfer signed with his ex-girlfriend Erica Herman. Herman, a former employee, signed an agreement never to disclose what happens in their love affair. They broke up and she wanted the court to declare it null and void, because of alleged abuse. A Florida court threw out the case because her reasons were, ‘vague and thread bare.’
Barmen don’t write books because they are richer than Tiger Woods. How? Trust. They see and hear things. You might think they are pulling a pint, but they are not. They are surprised that Mr. Simpson is coming through the door with his wife and not Girl Wednesday. They quickly text Girl Wednesday because they don’t want commotion that might end up on the internet.
Yes, barmen have our phone numbers. It’s part of the trust. They know the state of our marriages, relationships, job insecurity and dreams that will never be fulfilled. They are not shrinks or pastors because they don’t give advice. They just listen. They are not like the warning we give our friends: ‘Nobody else must hear about this.’ They just understand that we tell them things in confidence.
We don’t read books now. We watch podcasts. I must check if there’s a barman who talks about our pathetic lives, that drive us to the bar stool. If you don’t believe how sad our lives are, listen to Billy Joel’s classic song, Piano Man.
By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.
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