M.E. - Working On Mackinac Island

In my Sophomore year of college I met a woman who’s Grandparents owned a bar on Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw – the ‘c’ is silent) she asked if I would be interested in working for her on the island during the summer. I spent three summers on the Island, working on the weekends in the middle of May and then full time once school was out until school started again in September. The Island is known for its fudge and the fact that it doesn’t allow motorized vehicles. Travel on the island is either by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage. During the summer months this Island hosts approximately 15,000 “fudgies” a day, but there are only about 550 “islanders” year-round residents.

To watch people from behind the bar is an interesting experience in itself. Tourist can ask some of the most interesting questions. Some of my all time favorites are:
“Is this island surrounded by water?” – No the backside is pink lemonade.
“Do you have to take the boat to get here?” – No, the bridge swings over every night at midnight."
"Which way around the island is shorter?" - Go left it is 8 miles, go right it is 8 1/2 miles.

One of the things about the Island is that there are a lot of bats. The climate in Michigan and the fact that the farthest a person can be in the state from fresh water is 5 miles, means that there are tons of mosquitoes and the bats eat mosquitoes. So living on the island you just get used to seeing them flying around at night. Here are a few of my favorite bat stories.

First there was the time that early in the day, not many people in the bar a couple came in and ordered drinks. The woman had two fresh cast on her arms, she had fallen the previous night and broke both wrist. The husband was sitting there giving her a hard time because she was in pain and wasn’t real interested in doing a lot of sight seeing. At one point she looks up and hanging off of the molding along the ceiling above them was a small bat. She calls me over points it out and ask me what that is, I tell her it is a bat and the big brave man, her husband, lets out a yelp, drops on all fours and crawls to the bathroom in fear. Needless to say she and I had a good laugh at that one.

Another time on a nice sunny afternoon I was working the bar and we had a steady stream of folks in and out and all of a sudden a bat plops down on the bar in front of everyone. I casually reach up and take the hat from the head of one of the patrons, cover the bat, sweep it into the trashcan, carry it outside and came back behind the bar. It was a reflex response on my part. The people sitting at the bar at the time sat totally stunned and didn’t know what to do. I just handed the guy his hat back, said thank you and offered him a drink on the house. I’m sure it made for great storytelling when they got home, I know I have enjoyed telling it over the years.

Other exciting events during my time behind the bar were having someone shoot off a gun in the bar in celebration (good thing no one lived in the rooms above the bar), I had to save one of the waitresses from being strangled (it is amazing how quick a man will back up when you hit him in the throat with a Billy club) and when I physically threw a man out that was making vulgar remarks to a couple of young ladies (I even surprised my self at how angry I was and how easily I tossed that guy).

It was during the time on the Island that I really learned how much of a ‘schmoozer’ I am. Bartending is not just about following the recipe it is about working with people, I averaged $200 per day in tips and my single biggest single tip was $100. Even then the Lord had a plan and a purpose for me and He provided this opportunity not only to meet the need I had (to pay for collage) but taught me about people and myself in ways that would have not been possible any other way.

Next M.E. – Freeport Pretzels