Unintended Consequences (file under always something to learn)

First off I want to congratulate my brother and his beautiful bride on their wedding. There could not have been a more perfect day if you had ordered it. The setting was gorgeous. The people great. The celebration wonderful and I am shocked that you could pull it off in such a short time. I’m proud of you both and wish you all the love, joy and success you both deserve.

Over the past few days I have had a lot of time to think. Prior to leaving I got into a conversation with A and Chef. The details of which are going to stay with them and I. But it did get me to thinking. And I haven’t stopped.

I made a decision to do what I am doing late last year. I was disgruntled. Unhappy. Unsure and in large measure unaware. Unaware of what I was. What I was becoming. And where I was going.

I chose what I am doing because I wanted to be honest. With myself. With those that love me. And even those that I have not come across in any meaningfully way yet. I have written about the mistaken notion that some have about becoming a chef. The glamour and the glitz. Well, in the nine months that I have been at it I can tell you I have seen no glamour. NO GLITZ.

I have seen hard work. Endless hard work. Thankless work. Work that most quit because they can’t handle the grind.

One of the unintended consequences of the conversation that was had last Thursday is that I began to doubt myself. Really right up until the moment that I started writing this. I mean I really found myself questioning not just my decision but also my actions. However, as time has passed and I’ve had time to think I know that I am meant to be a Chef. I know at least in part some of the things that I have to do and I now pledge myself to redouble my efforts in my quest.

As I wrote last week before leaving for my brothers’ wedding I wrote a post which basically said that I need to keep my mouth shut. But in reality it is more than that. I need to pay attention to everything. Question what I have to and LET ACTIONS SPEAK.

I can say that I am happier than I have ever been in my life and I believe that the next few months are going to make me even more so. But I am also one hundred percent certain that to date my journey has been relatively easy. I think it begins anew and with greater difficulty tomorrow. And I welcome it with a smile. I came to learn, to work, to become and the future begins today, with every move I make and every decision I follow through with.

I am grateful for the days that I have had off. They cleansed me in more ways than I thought possible. But I can say, without equivocation, I am going to learn, to live my dream and to become even better as a human being every day. And while some of these are intended consequences it is the very real life changing unintended ones which are helping me to become the man that I always have believed I was meant to be. Growth is a funny thing and I thank A and Chef for taking the time to help me see.

Calvin Coolidge once said; “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Why 24?… All I need is another hour in the day PART 1 (file under trying to catch up)

So as you can tell I am so busy these days. I haven’t even been able to write my daily poems on butcher paper. From the moment I walk in to the moment I leave it is a non stop roller coaster ride of majestic proportions on the dream train of my life.

As I was yesterday I am currently trying to convince my fingers to type faster, to convince the universe to give me just one more hour in the day and my body to not succumb to its fervent desire to drop dead and sleep for three days straight. Adrenaline, coffee, cigarettes and PASSION are keeping me going but ALWAYS with a smile on my face because I can see clearly where I am going and how I am getting there.

This past weekend was INSANE. I have never worked so hard in my life. First off I figured out how to set up the grill properly, as I mentioned last week, it enables a more perfect workflow. Organization and speed are the name of the game when I am on the grill.

If you are not organized properly you will be in the shits from the second you open until the second you close. I know that many of you may think that I am just slinging burgers and that I even make the joke about McDonald’s but ultimately what I am doing at the grill is no different than what they do at Reservation. I am performing a food service that requires speed, accuracy and attention to detail. Currently I am planning a more perfect execution of my organization, attempting to figure out a better way to do what I am doing so that when I get into the shits I can pull myself out.

Speed is just as it suggests. I broke the record on the Grill on Saturday. We were part of the Luminato festival and the One City/ One Table celebration. As such we had approximately 60,000 people on site over the weekend. When you have that many people you have to plan ahead, be organized and execute with speed and accuracy.

I did (with only fifty minutes of total help) over six hundred orders all on my own. SIX HUNDRED. I did not go to the bathroom from 12 in the afternoon until 10:36 pm and had absolutely no break. At one point I almost fainted because the sun was kicking my ass and found myself sitting on the ground for two minutes trying to get myself back into the swing.

I get conflicting advice from people as to the way I run the grill. Chef J says that I shouldn’t speak to the customer at all and essentially he suggests that I should just be a robot and serve. However, I think (most respectfully) that he is wrong. I serve the way that I live; I am charming, passionate, caring and considerate. I interact with the customer for two reasons, one it leaves them with a great feeling inside and two because while I am interacting with them they don’t mind that they are having to wait a few extra minutes for what they’ve ordered.

As I’ve explained before I only have one fryer and that as a result it slows my progress in orders. If you have an order for eight chicken fingers you have to make 32 chicken fingers and eight orders of fries. Well in a small fryer that doesn’t keep temperature outside it is not as easy as you would think. I let the customers know that it may take ten minutes. Some leave and say they will be back; others stand there and wait. So as I’m taking orders and making orders I talk to people. Ask how their day has been, etc. It seems to keep the beast at bay if you know what I mean.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Should I be a robot or should I be me? I would LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS!

So this is as far as my little fingers will take me today. I have to run to work and had to type as fast as I could just to get this out. I will try to get the rest of Saturday out tomorrow morning.

Calvin Coolidge once said; “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”

Be Inspired and DREAM BIG!

A la prochaine

SDM