TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Just as Bobby McFerrin told us in the '80s, "Don't worry, be happy." It's just that credo that motivates Carlos Juan Maldonado as a server at Don Perico in northeast Bakersfield.

"Just be happy. I smile all the time. 'You're never mad,' customers tell me. That is my thing; that's why I'm a good waiter."

That happiness is infectious, according to customer Jana Byers, who nominated Maldonado, 38.

She writes, "He is always happy, cheerful and funny! If he detects someone is in a foul mood, he will pat them on the back and joke around until he gets them out of that mood!"

His positive attitude has served him well since he started at the Oswell Street restaurant not long after moving to Bakersfield from Mexico at the age of 17.

"I have a big family: 10 -- five girls and five boys (including me). Eight live here in Bakersfield."

In his first years in town, two brothers, both married, were his only local relatives.

"I was young and my brother said, 'Go to school.' I said, 'No, I don't want to go to school. No, I need money.'

"It's hard when you move. When I got here, I didn't know anybody. When I started working, I found a lot of friends."

Maldonado started at Don Perico as a dishwasher, then moved on to busboy before taking up serving.

"At first I was scared, I thought, 'I don't want to be a waiter. Sometimes I don't understand very much. But it will be better for you, more money.'"

That pay bump helps support his family: wife Isabel, a stay-at-home mom; daughter Celeste, almost 16; and sons Jose, 11, and Adrian, 5. Along with the usual household bills, the Maldonados have paid more than their share of medical bills; Celeste has had five surgeries for a cleft palette, and Jose has cerebral palsy.

In an industry reliant on tips, Maldonado said he sticks to a simple rule:

"I don't discriminate. Everybody is the same. When they come to the restaurant, I try to do the best job. I don't understand why people discriminate. Here in Bakersfield, you know a lot of people they don't tip. Be nice to the people and you make good money."

A few years back, Maldonado said he greeted an interesting trio who arrived before the hostesses came on shift.

"A guy with a lot of hair on his face. He looked like a monkey man. He came in with two guys and a girl. They were working here in Bakersfield on a circus from Mexico.

"They were at a different restaurant across the street that didn't want to give them service because of the hair. They didn't want them to scare people.

"I told them, 'That's discrimination.' Then I seated them. They returned the next week with a camera and took a picture of us. They said, 'Thank you for your service, Carlos.'"

Maldonado cares deeply that customers enjoy their experience, whether in his station or not. He remembers helping a family with a little girl who had a long wait for chicken strips.

"The chicken strips were frozen, so they would take 10 to 15 minutes. I said, 'They'll take awhile. Do you want a taco or enchilada for the little girl? I won't charge you.

"They said no, but when the strips came out they were burnt. I asked if they wanted something else, but they said no. I said I could give them a discount. I felt guilty they came out to eat (and had a bad time).

"They said, 'You don't have to do that. It's not your problem. But you're the only person who came to our table and explained it.' They left a $10 tip on a nothing bill."

For all the hard work and reward he derives from his job, Maldonado thinks about how his life might have changed.

"Now I think different. Maybe if I went to school, I would have a better job. So I tell my daughter, 'Go to school, get a better job. Don't be like me. You go to school first, then you can buy anything you want.'"