I’ve worked a lot of side hustles, but the extravagance of the events I’ve worked have never been as crazy as the one I worked last Saturday. It all started the week before, a friend sent an opportunity to make $25 an hour working a Bat Mitzvah in Hollywood. My bank account is low and my dignity is as well, so I immediately signed up and prepared to spend the night hearing a lot of “skibidi” and “aura points”.Â
Nothing could have prepared me for what I showed up to though. When I walked into the venue, there was a full pasta buffet, including a chef making fresh cacio e pepe in a cheese wheel, an Indian food corner, fresh flatbread pizzas, burgers, and a salad bar. Stepping inside, there was a sushi bar with three sushi chefs making an intricate board of rolls. The birthday girl’s name was plastered everywhere, in life size flashing lights, on balloons, on pillows, on the shirts of all of the staff and on all of the merchandise. There was an open bar for adults and a kids bar with Starbucks drink dupes named after the birthday girl as well. There was a giant balloon covered ceiling, a four person DJ/hype team and probably 100 people on staff.Â
I was working the merch table, which meant I was handing out customized sweatshirts, flip flops, jerseys, t-shirts or bags to the guests. There was also complimentary jewelry and a charm bracelet making station. When the guests filed in, I saw dresses from top designer brands and every 12 year old was wearing their own pair of Golden Goose sneakers.Â
Now, this was my first Bat Mitzvah. I never went to one in middle school, but I’m sure the suburban Pennsylvanian Bat Mitzvahs were not to this caliber. The merch stand was in prime view of the dance floor, so I got to witness all interactions, from the sweet speeches and videos made in honor of the birthday girl, to the awkward middle school interactions between tween boys and girls that are universal. I heard of other recent Bar Mitzvahs that featured special guests like Don Toliver (I wonder if he ever thought he would be playing a Bar Mitzvah) and even got to listen to part of the service. To top the night off, all of the guests loaded up party buses after the 11:30 end time and rode to the hotel that they had rented out for the whole weekend. I’m pretty sure my wedding will be an eighth of the extravagance of this birthday party.Â
All of this being said, the parallels between these people and the kindness they extended to us was as extravagant as the decor. The mom was sweet, thankful and offered the leftover food to us to feed our hungry college student roommates. The girls were sweet and the boys were as goofy as ever. The grandparents were proud and beaming, and the birthday girl reminded me so much of myself at that age. As I danced with my friends to “Unwritten” at a sorority formal the next day, I remembered the 13 year olds screaming with the same passion the night before. I realized we really are all the same. Girlhood is not defined by the amount of staff working a birthday party, but the quality of friends who show up for it. This birthday girl would have been just as content with a backyard party with some Dominos, she just had the loving and able parents to give her more. I hope I get invited to one of her friend’s Bat Mitzvah soon so I can reenter this secret world.