I've been a wallflower for too long, I thought I would introduce myself.
My name is Andrew. Buckle in, this is a long background, but it brings us to today.
I have been working in Restaurants since I legally could (and in bars technically since before I legally should have...). In restaurants I have gone the route of specializing on the bar. I have continually dug into and expanded my knowledge of wines, eventually getting a job as a sommelier.
Then, one year ago, I found out I had a auto-immune disease. Thyroid Eye disease to be exact. Those not familiar: essentially the tissue behind my eyes swells up, pushing my eyes out of my head. There is also an extreme light sensitivity that develops. So...you can't focus your sight on anything, you struggle to go outside, and even looking at a computer screen is hard (IT'S TOO BRIGHT, haha). Now, I'll be the first one to tell anyone: I'm lucky, I'm one of the few that has this issue but doesn't suffer complications with my thyroid (usually there are all sorts of side effect, etc. So, as far as issues go, I won the lottery there!) However, because there were no side issues, my doctors took almost a year to finally diagnose me. They kept saying "Well...yeah, you could still have it. That's a possibility, but it isn't very common without the other issues...")
So, I lost almost a year. I'd be prescribed something to treat the symptom. It'd go away, I'd go through more tests. The temporary relief (usually oral steroids) would wear off, I'd get knocked out again. I'd stay in bed, sometimes for the entire day. Rinse. Repeat.
And just wait: the above has all the right characteristics of a classis 'woe is me' 'this is why I can't succeed' story. But it isn't. The truth is, I found that, in spite of the discomfort and my inability to do basic tasks, I was forced to do what I could with what I had been given. Barely see that day? I'll wear sunglasses while inside in a dark room to be able to keep working on my laptop. I very clearly did not continue working at the same level as before my episode, but I did everything in my power to do what I could when I could. I found an inner strength and resolve I didn't know I had. If I could go back, if someone offered me the chance to never go through that episode, I'd say hell no. As uncomfortable as that all was, it changed me for the better.
When I had no choice but to stay in bed, I thought. And kept thinking and thinking. I took stock of my life. I grabbed whatever moments I could to read, to think. To take charge of anything I could. I read a book in one of my good times: "The Miracle Morning" in January of 2023, and I started to wake up early when I could. I was hoping to improve my health to improve and with that to improve my body's response to my eyes...that book recommended 'the millionaire fastlane .'
So it all begins haha...
Fast forward to today. I am working on a project "SYN" (It's an acronym, chosen for the possible side merch, 'syn city' 'forgive us for our syns') It's an online training platform. The focus is helping servers progress from more casual dining settings to fine dining. There is a focus on wine knowledge (as someone who hires professionally for a restaurant at the moment: this is usually where people need the most help). It is a lot. And a long uphill battle, but I will push on. I believe it is something that will deliver excellent value and help a ton of people. I definitely hope so too, because that would help me as well.
My name is Andrew. Buckle in, this is a long background, but it brings us to today.
I have been working in Restaurants since I legally could (and in bars technically since before I legally should have...). In restaurants I have gone the route of specializing on the bar. I have continually dug into and expanded my knowledge of wines, eventually getting a job as a sommelier.
Then, one year ago, I found out I had a auto-immune disease. Thyroid Eye disease to be exact. Those not familiar: essentially the tissue behind my eyes swells up, pushing my eyes out of my head. There is also an extreme light sensitivity that develops. So...you can't focus your sight on anything, you struggle to go outside, and even looking at a computer screen is hard (IT'S TOO BRIGHT, haha). Now, I'll be the first one to tell anyone: I'm lucky, I'm one of the few that has this issue but doesn't suffer complications with my thyroid (usually there are all sorts of side effect, etc. So, as far as issues go, I won the lottery there!) However, because there were no side issues, my doctors took almost a year to finally diagnose me. They kept saying "Well...yeah, you could still have it. That's a possibility, but it isn't very common without the other issues...")
So, I lost almost a year. I'd be prescribed something to treat the symptom. It'd go away, I'd go through more tests. The temporary relief (usually oral steroids) would wear off, I'd get knocked out again. I'd stay in bed, sometimes for the entire day. Rinse. Repeat.
And just wait: the above has all the right characteristics of a classis 'woe is me' 'this is why I can't succeed' story. But it isn't. The truth is, I found that, in spite of the discomfort and my inability to do basic tasks, I was forced to do what I could with what I had been given. Barely see that day? I'll wear sunglasses while inside in a dark room to be able to keep working on my laptop. I very clearly did not continue working at the same level as before my episode, but I did everything in my power to do what I could when I could. I found an inner strength and resolve I didn't know I had. If I could go back, if someone offered me the chance to never go through that episode, I'd say hell no. As uncomfortable as that all was, it changed me for the better.
When I had no choice but to stay in bed, I thought. And kept thinking and thinking. I took stock of my life. I grabbed whatever moments I could to read, to think. To take charge of anything I could. I read a book in one of my good times: "The Miracle Morning" in January of 2023, and I started to wake up early when I could. I was hoping to improve my health to improve and with that to improve my body's response to my eyes...that book recommended 'the millionaire fastlane .'
So it all begins haha...
Fast forward to today. I am working on a project "SYN" (It's an acronym, chosen for the possible side merch, 'syn city' 'forgive us for our syns') It's an online training platform. The focus is helping servers progress from more casual dining settings to fine dining. There is a focus on wine knowledge (as someone who hires professionally for a restaurant at the moment: this is usually where people need the most help). It is a lot. And a long uphill battle, but I will push on. I believe it is something that will deliver excellent value and help a ton of people. I definitely hope so too, because that would help me as well.
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