​One of my favorite things to write about is the clash of cultures because my life is defined as the confusion between different worlds.

Now here is some food for thought.

Imagine going from Wall Street to working at a national chain waffle house. Those are quite the two different places, lifestyles and cultures filled with people who are as different as night and day. If this happened to you, Drake would just be shaking his head. It is even more of a travesty that it is a triumph to go from the top and head to the bottom than it is to go from the bottom to the top.

So, started from the top and now we’re here? Drake would shake your head at you. But, is it really the worst thing in the world to be in a spot in your life where you are at the pinnacle of success, sitting in an iron throne on top of the world to falling to become a measly peasant?

​Jimmy Adams doesn’t seem to think so. Waffle Street is a film that is the perfect example of taking risks, struggling, pursuing new dreams and trying new things that you would never try before because you were too busy being consumed by one thing for so long.

The logline states:

“Shaken in his role in the 2008 financial crisis and desperate for a job, an ex-hedge fund manager joins the workforce as a server at a diner.”

The best part of all of this is that it is all based on a true story, based on a memoir written by real life, Jimmy Adams. That is my favorite part about the movie because it is non-fictional and it isn’t something that a screenwriter came up with.

​This film shows many changes through Jimmy’s character arch. Ranging from how he deals with defeat, the idea of overcoming, the notion of saying yes to new situations and most importantly, perseverance.

Losing a job that you were so accustomed to is very difficult. Then trying to find something new takes substantial amounts of courage. Jimmy finds a new dream, a new outlook on life through his job at the waffle house.

You can’t be a king forever and only until you appreciate your servants, may you become king again. I really admired Jimmy’s attitude of becoming a server at the waffle house. In medieval times, a server was called a servant and that is where that term comes from. Servants never got paid at all because they were servants. Since then society has come a long way, being a server is a lucrative job that can afford people to live. Jimmy decides to put in his time for 1000 hours, learning the ins and outs of the business to buy his own restaurant. This is easier said than done because he has to make serious lifestyle changes and sacrifices that affect him and his wife, who is his biggest doubter throughout the film.

What I learned the most from this film is that in life, you need to play the cards that are dealt. No matter what they are, you need to make the best of the situation with a good attitude because if you don’t, then you will not be very happy in this lifetime.

Remember, “The Zos Knows”.

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo