Tag Archives: Afterlife

Life as a Barfly: Dispatch from the Hotel Bar

Barfly: a person who spends much time in bars

Full disclosure: I’ve been visiting bars and have climbed up bar stools to take my place ever since I was a child. I guess that makes me a barfly. Growing up, my parents with their children in tow, would attend Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, then visit one of their regular taverns in Racine, Wisconsin, southern neighbor to Milwaukee, home to immigrant German brewmasters and the beers that made Milwaukee famous. Continue reading

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Another Trip to the Hotel Bar

“Connectedness. One thing leads to another. Often in unexpected ways.” ― Holly Goldberg Sloan

One never knows what will happen when you cross the threshold of a bar, take a seat on a barstool, and engage in conversation with the friendly bartender. After a couple of drinks, you might find yourself sharing your life story. Bartenders, by their very nature and skill set, are proxy confessors, stand-ins for our spiritual leaders and moral authorities. Sometimes, a bartender in turn, will reveal details about their own life. This is one of those stories. Continue reading

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