I waited tables for 13 years. Each unhappy customer is different and I learned from all of them

‘I mined it heartily for a scene in my first novel’: Brown’s memorable last shift as a server. Photograph: Supplied

I still have waitressing dreams. In them, my section suddenly fills with patrons and I launch into action – fetching water, reciting menu specials, grabbing the booster seat for table one and the extra ice for table two. Stressful as it sounds, these aren’t nightmares. Sometimes, I really miss waitressing.

I waited tables in places ranging from beachside cafes to high-end restaurants, on and off for 13 years. It taught me my most valuable lessons about human nature.