Hand me a napkin
Have you ever been to a restaurant or bar where you wanted to remember something, or share your information with someone else but didn’t have any paper? The old adage of writing your number on a bar napkin? I’ve taken this idea a step further these last few years and whenever my family and I are out to eat, or if I’m meeting friends for a drink, etc - I make sure to grab a napkin or two from the bar so that I can leave the server with something memorable.
What starts out as a guy just seeking a napkin to mop up a spill quickly has turned into an extension of kindness, a quick surprise, or a token of appreciation for a random staff member making their way in the service industry.
The definition of “to serve”: to be there, to engage with others, to offer something desirable, to give something in a place that cannot be offered somewhere else. All these meanings and experiences have compelled me as an artist to submit a reciprocation in return.
The blue napkin with a big fish came from our trip to FL in the summer of July 2021. I was drawing live for an event and was literally 1 out of 300 people wearing a mask in the room. Needless to say, I was not feeling quite at home or as relaxed and one of the first things I reached for after drawing the entire day was, you guessed it, a pen and a napkin. Our server Zack had no idea that the napkin was coming his way and he said a little prayer at our table that we would continue to stay safe during the pandemic and thanked God for kindness showing up in his life.
The white napkin with the couple drinking beer was created on Mother’s day weekend. Our good friends met up with us at our local brewery and we found incredible seats. Since breweries can be hit or miss with their ‘kid-friendly’ advertising, I was overcome with how welcoming our server was to the five children NOT ordering beers in our party. She was authentic, sincerely interested in what they had to say, and made it clear she had a gift with children. Shortly after presenting her with not just my napkin, but five others from every child in our party, we learned that she was a teacher and making extra money while waiting tables. Isn’t it something that one napkin can reveal so much about other humans?
Maybe napkins were destined for more than just wiping our mouths and cleaning up spills.
Maybe napkins were intended for getting to know others and creating large and mighty thrills.