On Saturday night, my family and I were having dinner at Eat’n Park in Belle Vernon when we noticed an elderly man sitting across from us. We didn’t see him come in, but we saw our server, Dylan, kneel down to talk to him face-to-face as he took the man’s order.
The elderly man apologized for not hearing well because he had forgotten to put in his hearing aids. He shared that he lost his hearing during the war. At 91 years old, he had many stories to tell. Dylan patiently listened and gave him his full attention. Eventually, the man apologized for talking so much and said, “I’m alone now, and I don’t often have someone to talk to.” Dylan smiled and said he enjoyed listening. He then helped the man figure out what to order and went to the kitchen.
It was a heartwarming moment. I wanted to offer to pay for the man’s dinner, but before I could ask Dylan, a man at a nearby booth asked for his check. “Someone’s already taken care of it,” Dylan smiled. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones listening to the conversation. After the man received his food, Dylan came back on his break. He asked if he could sit with the elderly gentleman while he ate. As we left, we saw the two of them talking, and everyone nearby was smiling. It was a beautiful sight.
With all the negative stories about young people today, this was a nice change. It made me wonder if I would have been as kind and caring if I were the one working there. One thing’s for sure: if you ever go to Eat’n Park in Belle Vernon, ask for Dylan. You’ll definitely get great service.