Hello all. I hope this finds you well. Rested and ready for the weekend. I found myself home early today, as L and I are MACHIN! We kicked ass today and were able to leave at around 3:30 in my case. I then tried to go buy another book as I’m reading like a fiend. I do want to suggest to you, if you haven’t already, that you should read “Eat, Pray, Love.” This book is brilliant. Her writing style is wonderful and it is filled with the type of truths that so few of us are willing to admit let alone put on the written page for every one in the world to pawn over. I’ve really enjoyed her spiritual conversations and find that I relate to what she is saying as I’ve already come to the conclusion. Nonetheless, I think you should read it if you haven’t already.
So this post is about the work ethic of a kitchen. Last Sunday, as every Sunday, I arrived at work early and started setting up brunch. This involves moving four eight-foot tables as well as numerous other ones. Moving the chaffing dished from the storage area to the cellar, moving the heating lamp, waffle maker, etc. I got most of this done before anybody else was even there. As part of the restaurant business it is not uncommon for there to be co-op placements of students from nearby culinary programs. We’ve had two at the restaurant for about a month. One male, one female. The female is a hard worker with a great attitude. She keeps her head down and works quite well with very little instruction. The male is spoiled, clearly from money and has absolutely no work ethic let alone common sense. He is slow, needs to be told to do things about ten times and has a foul attitude.
I myself, as these pages have clearly demonstrated am a hard working, fun loving, life living, celebratory man who loves what I’m doing and will for the rest of my life. I approach each day with a smile in my soul and on my face. I say all this because one of the things that I personally detest is people that are lazy and stupid. Not that I am saying that this kid (though at 23 I hardly believe anyone should act like or be a child) is stupid but I can demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is lazy and spoiled and has an attitude more sour than ripe lemons.
Over the course of the time with us at Reservation I have watched as he has been shown how to do things numerous times and still does not get it. Molasses moves faster than this kid. I mean truly, I have watched as molasses ran from its container at mach speed compared to this kid. I sheltered my aggravation and would make jokes to the people I work with but never let it affect my professionalism. Last Sunday though after three days of heightened laziness I decided that I would spell everything out for him. Not in a bad way but I would walk him through everything that he needed to do and when he was done it I would let him know what was next and I would show him if I had to.
During brunch he constantly walks around doing nothing. Which when you are already at a heightened pace of slow is annoying when every one else is moving like a tiger in search of its next kill. That is how the kitchen is. It is exactly like Mozart visualizing the next note and then grabbing it from the air with the type of authority that only Mozart could. It is truly spectacular to watch, to be a part of and to know. Imagine “Flight of the Bumble Bee” on crack and methamphetamine with a tinge of Absinthe. LITERALLY! When the kitchen is in swing that is how it is. There is a cacophony of sounds, actions and attitudes that gels together to produce a beautiful symphony. But not for this kid. For this kid, life is slow, steady and lazy. I partially blame his parents but mostly blame him for just sitting back and letting life pass him by one slovenly step at a time.
So during brunch I let him know that things needed to get done numerous times. I would watch as something that would take any of us a minute or less to do he did in ten. LITERALLY! So, as it was Sunday and it was sunny, when brunch was over all of us having worked our asses of that week (last week) were excited to get things done and then go and enjoy the rest of the day. One small problem. SLOVENLY steps!
As I was running around trying to get various things done I would walk into the kitchen and ask what he was doing. “Drinking coffee,” “Eating fruit,” Watching the eggs.” I’m thinking to myself at this point, don’t just stand there and watch. Find something to do. I asked him again about ten minutes later what he was doing and he said the potatoes. I looked at him (as the Poissonier had with me several months ago) and said you don’t need to watch the potatoes. There are things you can do while waiting for them to be done. “Oh yeah, oh yeah,” the only response I got. So brunch over I watched as this kid carried one plate at a time to the kitchen. To put this in perspective we have a cart (which he knows about and has used) which we load with things and bring into the kitchen. One by one he did this twice and I looked at him and asked what he was doing when the cart was right there. “I’m working…” No you’re not your fucking the dog I told him. I showed him what to do for the fifth time and he started doing it (of course at a pace that makes a worm look like an F 1 car at top speed). I then proceeded to tell him exactly what to do next. He did it; again, I’ve seen turtles on land move faster. Finally I went into the kitchen to do something after I’d told him what to do. I came back out and watched as he carried one chaffing dish to the storage area. I proceeded to lead by example (and was so irritated at this point but still cordial) and put SIX chaffing dishes on the cart and lead it to the storage area before he had even dropped one. I asked him (full well knowing the answer) how many chaffing dished did you carry there. (AND SO IT BEGINS)
One, he says. I looked at him quizzically and almost laughing, and how many did I take. Six he said. I said so I took six and brought them back here as well as two tables in the time you moved one chaffing dish. Well they all wouldn’t fit on the cart he told me. GAME ON! Wow I thought to myself. Seething with relative anger that this kids was messing with the rest of our day. I told him to put away the rest of the dishes and right quick at which point he decided that that he hated me and started cursing my name and how annoying I was. THANKS I thought. Not that I paid it any mind.
At that exact moment Chef J came in and asked the kid what he was objecting to and why he was talking to me that way. He tried to justify his actions but to no avail. Chef J explained that there was a work ethic and that in the list of people he was far below me. Not that I was pulling rank in any way I just wanted to get out of there, just like everybody else that had put in a hard week.
So today he had been scheduled to come in at 10 am. He arrived somewhere around 11 and then fucked the dog for the next half an hour. At the earliest possible opportunity I took his shoes, vac packed them and froze them in ice in the freezer. He gets off in about an hour. I’m sure he is going to be pissed but I hope that he gets that point that there is a work ethic in life and that he is failing miserably. I’ve seen kids work harder to get a mouthful of pureed spinach or banana than this kid. I bear no animosity but I show up to work every day ready and willing and able and happy to work. He on the other hand is barely showing up for life and needed a little bit of a shake up. I hope it worked for his sake.
On that note, Einstein once said; “The idle man does not know what it is to enjoy rest.”
Dream inspired and big!
A la prochaine
SDM
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