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‘”Belly Up to the Bar…”

By Dahni
©️  2023, all rights reserved

By the way, the photograph above is real, and really how it would look today. There’s about 200 years of memorabilia on the walls.  I suppose one could sit at a table and play cards or you could “belly up to the bar…” But no music or television is ever played, so be ready for some conversation.

The complete line is, “Belly Up to the Bar Boys (or gals).”

That’s the line to include gals, but this was the line. No one seems to know for sure where this came from, but literal or not it is acceptable to mean, “push through”. But it is quite often used with another term of suspected drinking origin, “bottoms up,” when glasses are raised and you toast. Both are familiar from the backdrop of saloons in the movie genre of westerns. In those saloons, the only place you could sit was at a table for those playing cards. The bar was a long piece of raised wood with a flat top. To increase capacity, these early bars did not have stools. So, you either stood up or stood and leaned into and against the bar. Then there is another idea, which can fit here- “First come; first served.” This is my story, and I can “serve” — add to it and embellish as I deem appropriate to make what points I am intending because, I am “first.” 😊

If you were first to arrive at bar in a saloon, you would for certain, stand or lean against the bar, closest to the bartender to pay and be served by the same. One or maybe two or more tenders would handle everyone at the bar. To quicken service and cut down their walking, they were skilled at sliding filled glasses from one end of the bar to a catching hand at the other. People playing cards would often pay for a whole bottle of something in advance, so not have to wade through the crowd to get another drink. If you preferred say whiskey 🥃 over beer 🍺 and were not there to sit at a table to play cards, 🃏 and you did not want to wait for the bartender to service you for another drink or more drinks, you just might say the first time, “Leave the bottle.”

Everyone else just had to wait their turn until the bartender could get to them. Now enter our first line- “Belly up to the bar boys (gals too).” I suppose anyone could say this, but it most likely was the voice of, the bartender. Its basic meaning was and is, “push through.” And as one would “push through” a crowded saloon towards where the tender stood behind the bar, one would likely rub their belly up against other bellies, tying to get to the front of the bar.

Remember that one person at the bar, which was “first come; first serve?” If they were planning on being there for awhile, they certainly didn’t want to give up the best position to be served from. There was one exception— either the drinks would be “on the house” or the “drinks were on you.” (you were buying, at least a round of drinks for everyone.

For everyone involved, this was the most efficient way to serve and to be served. And it was a nice thing to do for others.

So all the above is the background to the dream I awoke from this morning. Oh the place was real to me, as were the faces. I had been there and had been with them in my dream and in reality, many times before.

There was a familiarity and camaraderie. We knew each other, at least by familiar characteristics. By “we knew each other” it is meant that by seeing each other again and again, we knew who we were by our appearance. Perhaps there was a certain hat worn, shirt, jacket, facial hair, hair color, scar, blemish, tattoo or some other identifying marks, which separated us from one another. That’s how we knew and know each other and often on a first name basis. Besides those of us which have come here over the years, there were also those that worked here or used to that drew and draw all of us. There is Dad, the original owner that wore himself out going up and down narrow and loose stairs with cases of liquor and beer on a dolly. Then there is Mom, the other original owner and wife of Dad, in charge of all food— made and served and the greeter of everyone, which come here. This is what we think of them, as our extended Dad and Mom and how we address them. Then there was their son Dave, who inherited the responsibility from his mom and dad, and he used to run this place for many years and died several years ago. His absence left and leaves a hole that could still be seen in each one of our hearts. Still we came. Still we come. Still, we will keep coming.

It seems almost like every year, there is another one of us missing. But as I walk in or any one of us come inside, we acknowledge one another with a wink, a nod, a word or some gesture. We know each other and we uphold those that are no longer here, as if they will always be among us.

We “belly up to the bar…” and buy one another drinks. Sometimes “drinks are on the house.” Sometimes “drinks were on them.” And sometimes, “drinks were on me.” Our individual draw was to have a drink or some drinks and it does not get any simpler than that. Contrary to popular ideas, most people do not drink alone or come to a saloon or a bar to get drunk.

Maybe, maybe we wanted the entertainment of what is called, ‘The Bar Slide?” Some wanted the regular slide and others, something more unique like the following — 😂🤣

But when we enter in, we acknowledge one another, respect one anther and buy one another drinks because, we share something together and that is the knowledge and the comfort that we are not alone in this life. It gets no more profound than this.

No matter who we are or where we come from, what is the color of our skin, what country we may be from, our accent, whether we are rich or poor, religious or not matters at all. It does not matter however far are the degrees of separation, which separate us. We do not judge. Why do we we keep coming back? There is no other reason to understand, than this.

So, we “belly up to the bar boys” (and gals) because, we are not alone. We show our gratitude and celebrate life by “bottoms up” raising a toast to life, ourselves, to each other and those no longer among us, as if they always are.

So like the neighborhood bar ‘Cheers,’ we go where everyone knows our name. And like the song from the Movie, ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown,’ we just want something to mean something in the often confusing and complicated and meaningless times in our lives. And we want to share them with others and in so doing, make life better even if for only the moment, for all of us and each of us.

This is unwritten. It is unspoken. Generally it is not clearly shown to untrained eyes and hearts. But here is respect and friendship. Here is love we share together and for one another. And we do this as often and for as long as we can because, we know so well that our days have always been numbered. “So, “This round is on me!”