Editor's note: Toriis blogging about dealing with unemployment due to the coronavirus at My Rebound by FOX 17. She is currently working one shift as a bartender at the River Stop Saloon in Newaygo and hopes to go back to work soon as a cosmetologist at The Freckled Fawn in Fremont. She is married and lives in Fremont.
Finally! We received the news that everyone has so impatiently been waiting for. The stay-at-home order has been lifted, and bars and restaurants can open at 50% capacity starting today!
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I am so excited to be going back to work after having three months off. I’m still feeling a little anxious about everything though. Because even though we can open our doors and serve again, we still have to cut our capacity in half and follow the strict social distancing rules. Will it be worth going back to work? Will I make enough money? What happens to my unemployment if I only go back to one job instead of both? SO many questions that I will have to find the answers to.
I started bartending four years ago. Two of those wonderful years I have been at the River Stop Saloon in Newaygo. Bartending has made such a huge impact on my life and has really shaped me into who I am today. It introduced me to so many wonderful people, most of which have become some of my greatest friends! But I chose to work at a bar, because it’s my fun job. It keeps me on my toes and constantly pushes me to get out of my comfort zone.
Right now, there are so many people who I can’t wait to see and so many mixed drinks that need to be poured! Order however many Bloody Mary’s you want. I promise I won’t be mad! I’ll make you three of them if it makes you happy, and it means I can work again! Ha! I’m ready for the fast-paced environment and sharing laughter with my co-workers. I’m ready for all the cheesy bar jokes when someone asks for a Corona beer. I’m ready for the laughter being shared among everyone. I’m so ready for it all!
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But I’m still a little flustered with the way things are being done right now, and I’m confused as to why the salons cannot open yet. Michigan is the only state left that HAS NOT opened their salons. Crazy right?
We spend thousands of dollars on school and getting our licenses, and we can’t even use them right now? To get a cosmetology license in Michigan, you have to go to school for 1,500 HOURS. I can’t remember how many hours are spent on learning sanitation, but I can tell you it is A LOT. And it’s a huge part of school and exams for our license. Cosmetologists could sanitize everything in their sleep, and things would still be cleaned right.
It’s just crazy to me that we still can’t go back to work. I don’t work in a salon that does hair or anything like that. But I suppose if I needed a haircut, I could just google it, right? Ha! I’m kidding. Hopefully soon, I’ll be able to get back into the salon and start doing eyelash extensions and see all of my wonderful clients again.
Until then, I’m making all the mixed drinks and all the Bloody Mary’s. I’m pouring beer and changing kegs. And I’m having fun again. CHEERS!