Today I met Jerry—a former high school student of Frank McCourt's

Today I met Jerry—a former high school student of Frank McCourt's! We exchanged banter over the curried chicken and Tuscan melon. Teacher Man, Angela's Ashes & 'Tis. What he told me about self-evaluation was particularly helpful after a customer ripped me a new arsehole for no real reason at all—other than he could. Several women in line went over to the manager and vouched for me, several wanting to come to my rescue but were at a loss as to how. Fecking bully. He couldn't believe I had the audacity to say "I don't need this." And all the frabulous lines I composed in hindsight—alas, he broadsided me.