I like to go to the bar after work for several reasons.  First of all, I like to take the edge off of a long day of work and get ready for a relaxing evening at home with a drink.  I know, I could do this at home, but most nights I spend alone, and its makes a nice transition from the workday if I spend some time with people in a non-work environment.

Usually, I’ll go out with some co-workers or meet somebody else I know just getting off of work, and we have the understanding that we are not going to talk about work.  Sometimes, though, through some alignment of the planets I’m left alone because everybody else I know has to work late, has a date, has to get home to the wife for dinner, or whatever.  I’m sure it happens to my other friends to when I by chance have some post-work engagement.

At that point, some people would just go home, but I’m a creature of habit.  I got to go to the bar for that drink.  Sometimes it’s nice.  I either get to hang out at the bar alone for a half-hour or have a decent conversation with a fellow lonely patron. 

Instead of having a nice conversation about the news, music, or whatever, I get that guy who loves his job so much that he talks to anyone about it, the guy who loves his job so much he has can’t think of anything else to say, or the guy who simply just doesn’t have anything else to talk about except his job.

This particular night was like no other I ran into a used screw machines salesman. That guy very much enjoyed his job.  We started off talking about what we were drinking.  He got to asking where I worked; I answered.  Next thing I know he’s telling me about this great sale he had that day, something about turned parts, multi-spindle lathes, and—.I can’t even believe I remember those words. I wish I had that passion!

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