ASHLAND — A Facebook photo of a high chair and walker side by side — stowed in a
corner at Lyn-Way Restaurant.
Not an artistic shot, but a stunning capture of the juxtaposition of two objects. You didn’t have to read the text above the photo to understand the gist.
But I did. Here it is verbatim:
“A real and personal story from today at work
The night came to an end & our nightly tasks came about, cleaning to ensure tomorrows
customers have an experience they deserve. Cleanliness, happiness, readiness. We
sweep, we deep clean, we sanitize. & While we do so we think of ALL our customers
small & big. It was my night to take care of the highchair cleaning … As I approached I
stopped instantly almost ready to cry thinking I have got to make this matter more than it
already does. Babies sit here each and every day one after the other & so do our
grandparents, or others like them. I take pride in being sure my cleaning responsibilities
are 100% done not only because I’m supposed to but because I too have a baby, a
grandparent, a family member who prefers only the cleanest spaces in order to feel
happy, healthy and at home… and that is what my job at the Lyn-Way provides. I can’t
say in words how much I appreciate my bosses, my fellow employees, & our customers
more. YOUR ALL AMAZING!”
I’m not sure how this photo and text popped up on my Facebook feed. I didn’t know the woman who posted it.
I retired from the Times-Gazette 13 years ago and seldom came to Ashland. Much less Lyn-Way. Till recently. In the past four months I’ve found myself at the iconic eatery on several occasions. Generally meeting friends and family and a few colleagues in the media business.
Somehow, Facebook’s algorithm gremlins thought it important that I see more posts about Lyn-Way. Not that I mind looking at photos of comfort food and luscious pies.
Lainie Rose’s Facebook post was sweeter than any pie you’d find at Lyn-Way or any
restaurant. No knock on Lyn-Way. Or their pies. I’d blow my diet for a slice in a
heartbeat. Alamode, of course.
Lainie’s post touched me deeply. Which is saying a lot for a jaded old fart like me.
There was something genuine about that simple photo and words that came straight
from the heart — not filtered through the formalities of form.
What really struck me was her sense of duty and compassion. Which was particularly
refreshing coming from a young person. Sadly, we typically see just the opposite from
Generation X, Y, Z, and what I call Generation I (as in “I don’t give a damn.”)
Lainie’s post gave me hope for the future.
I had to meet her.
After going back and forth online for several weeks, Lainie agreed to a brief interview at
Lyn-Way before her shift. We sat in a booth and talked. It was one of the booths where
— back in the day — I occasionally had lunch over a newspaper. And pie.
I was curious about her name. On Facebook she goes by Lainie Rose — her first and
middle names, she told me. Her last name is Hill.
Come July, she will have been working at Lyn-Way for a year.
Lainie is an Ashland native. She graduated in 2012 from the culinary management
careers program at what was then the Career Center. It’s now Heartland Technical
Education Center.
Lainie has worked at other area restaurants, but she finally found a home waitressing at
Lyn-Way.
“I’ve noticed in the year I’ve been here that the employees take pride in their work, no
one dreads having to come in,” Lainie said. “They’re all happy to be here, happy to do
everything we have to do to keep the place running smoothly. It’s nice when you love
your job. It’s like you’re not even working.”
Lyn-Way is one of those rare places not plagued by constant turnover. Which might
explain why it’s been around nearly three-quarters of a century.
“It’s a solid team,” Lainie said. “There’s people who have been here for decades.”
Lainie is a single mother with three daughters. Her middle child, now 11, celebrated her
first and second birthdays at Lyn-Way.
“Lyn-Way has been important to us for a long time,” she said. “It’s very family oriented.”
Which is what struck her when she happened upon the high chair and walker.
“I walked around the corner, and I was so surprised to see those two chairs sitting
together and I’m like ‘This just speaks life right here,’” Lainie said. “Just these two
chairs. One minute you’re a baby, then you’re a kid, and then you’re older. It felt really
special to me. So I wanted to share this with everybody.”
You nailed it, Lainie. It speaks life.
