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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories State will investigate ticket dismissals Details sought about RV fire outside Gold Hill Saturday show features birds and flowers Gold Ray Road closed at rail crossing Monday Woman sentenced in stabbing case Crime, Courts and Emergency Services State will investigate ticket dismissals Details sought about RV fire outside Gold Hill Woman sentenced in stabbing case Rogue River man dies in Wednesday car crash Emergency services Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. 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Details sought about RV fire outside Gold Hill ... Woman sentenced in stabbing case ... State will investigate ticket dismissals ... Details sought about RV fire outside Gold Hill ... Woman sentenced in stabbing case ... SOUTHERN OREGON JOURNAL The waitress — Never stopping, never dropping By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 15, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 15, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> She labors eight hours a day on her feet, hustling from kitchen to table and back. As long as our stomachs are happy, we barely acknowledge her existence. This one goes out to all the unsung heroines of the wait staff trade with my deepest respect. I know waiters work hard too, but this one’s for the gals. The hard working moms and wives who don support stockings and comfy shoes, and whose forearms bear the scars of their profession from balancing hot plates. The other day, my friend John and I met for lunch at Elmer’s in Medford. While we talked, our waitress scurried one direction with her arms full, then reversed with empty ones, returning with a pot of coffee, bottle of catsup, a cup of hot tea — like a Dr. Seuss character, never stopping and never dropping a thing. She obviously knew her stuff, and since she was the only waitperson on duty, speed and efficiency were necessary talents. She happened to be a woman I’ve known for more years than seems possible. Her name was Darlene Sheile. I got to thinking about waitressing, as I have before, and how taxing it must be, having to satisfy picky appetites and cranky demeanors while smiling and wishing you could soak your feet. I wondered how long she’d been doing that, so I asked. She told me she’d started at age 24 and was now 60. I asked if she’d be willing to talk with me about her experiences. It began in Moses Lake, Washington, when Darlene fabricated a story for the interviewer at the Chinese-American eatery about a fake restaurant and telephone number where she’d worked for six months. A little later, they told her it was hard for them to believe she’d waited tables for only six months. I can see her smile. She’s never looked back from her gutsy beginning, and after a full day’s work, she shared her credo with me. “I love people. I’m a people person,” Darlene admitted. Customers come and go. Tips happen or sometimes they don’t, but everyone is equal in her eyes. She gives the same level of service to a homeless man in need of a bath as to a successful looking business person. “I wait on people the way I want to be waited on,” she said. That’s how she’s hung in there for 30-plus years. In the afternoon, she covers all the tables, buses and cashiers. When she’s crazy busy like that, she often feels like the stereotypical hash slinger, but she follows up to insure that everyone’s happy. Of course, some folks never are happy, and there’s not much she can do about that. But Darlene doesn’t hold a grudge. If they don’t tip, she extends grace and suggests that maybe it was a special treat for the family to have dinner out. She has regulars, like the Escapees, a group of RV enthusiasts who know and love her. Darlene doesn’t get stiffed by the regulars, and she reaps the occasional $100 gratuity. But tips don’t power her motivation. Sheile says, “If someone comes in looking down and gloomy, and if I can put a smile on their face, I feel like I’ve done my job.” It’s important to her that she does a good job — that she brings diners their food hot and appetizing and makes sure it’s everything they wanted. She even prays for customers whom she knows are facing tough circumstances. Darlene’s friendliness and concern for Elmer’s customers end in June of 2016. Her husband, Larry, and she bought land at the coast near Florence. But her high energy has an outlet, and they won’t be staring at coastal sunsets every night. She looks forward to riding her pink/purple pearlized Banshee dune buggy over the sand. “That baby hums,” she said of her toy. And at Elmer’s Pancake House, so does Darlene. Peggy Dover is a freelance writer. Visit her Facebook page at Peggy Dover-writer and contact her at [email protected] By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 15, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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