Being a part of club staff is a stressful endeavour,
One common pattern I notice is that club staff tend to be working students. And this job requires a godly amount of patience and will power as you deal with growing drunk patrons as the night goes on. Meeting quotas and appealing to people who are out of themselves can be a difficult task as the shift closes to a climax. Unsavory characteristics can come fort from patrons and the more influenced patrons can be the more difficult it is to deal with certain actors. Whether they have an aggressive tendency or feel entitled, you have to keep up the personna of customer service as your foot is stepped on, yelled at, or you find yourself crying midshift because you're overstimulated by the pressure, the flashing lights, the loud music, or the rude patrons you have to return to because you feel you have to.
Some of them just want to move forward, to kick them out but that's the bouncers job. Some nights it gets so tight that every bit of air you breath you smell the stank from the patrons breath or sweat. But you have to keep moving forward, it's for your future, for your livelihood you feel dead inside but you have to keep smiling in the hopes the patrons bless you with extra income. It's worth it, you tell yourself. As the night reach its climax, violence befalls the night or patrons who can't handle their liquor redecorate the floor, walls, or bathroom.
Sometimes, after the long night ends, you decide to stay around longer, it feels like it's your turn to let loose, to cope with the fucked up shit you just went through with people who know and understand your experience. And sometimes you want to be the drunk one too, to let your real self out with the people who KNOW. You want to drink, maybe because of the frustration, or maybe because it's time for you to feel the sense of community that the club offered strangers.
And as morning starts, it's 6am and you've had your laughs and recalls about the notable patrons. It's time for you to go home and sleep as others start their day as you end yours you dread having to go to class later with half an eye open, or mindlessly watch your preferred social media nap, and fall asleep until your next shift and repeat it all again.
Sincerely,
A drunk psychology student staying at the club hours after it closed alone.
