Seven years after a horrible accident took her vision, Maria F. has returned to the job she loved: bartending.
Maria was driving down Interstate 405 near Renton, Washington in 2004 when a piece of furniture flew off the back of another vehicle, smashing her windshield and striking her in the face.
She lost her vision and suffered many other facial injuries.
Before the accident the University of Washington graduate was bartending to make money.
She recently told friend Rita D. that she missed bartending.
After Rita opened The Bridge, a new restaurant and bar in West Seattle, she asked Maria to join her behind the bar for a few hours on Mondays.
“She took me up on the offer and she loves it,” Rita said.
Maria works about three hours a week and does it on a voluntary basis.
“It pretty much fills the void for me,” she said. “I feel like I’m helping out.”
She quickly memorized the soda gun and the location of every bottle in her corner of the bar.
She says each bottle has its own feel.
“Nothing else feels like Makers,” she said while lifting the whiskey bottle.
Then she puts it down and lifts a vodka bottle.
“Nothing else feels like Ketel One.”
Maria makes the drinks, then hands them off to a server.
She is not able to pour beer yet because the bar has 18 taps, but she plans on memorizing those in the near future.
“I love sitting back in the darkness just watching her do her magic,” said Rob D., Maria’s significant other. “I like to say that if you ever believe that something can’t be done, tell Maria and get out of the way.”
Other places have approached Maria about guest bartending at their bars.
“It doesn’t surprise me that she can do that because she has already been through so much,” Rita said. “It’s just who she is.”
It’s always fantastic to see someone recover the way Maria has. Congratulations Maria.
