Not long ago, I ran into a former colleague who mentioned that she tells someone the story about my mother and the silverware at least once a week. It's a good story ... worth sharing now and then. So, for your reading pleasure, here's a formative moment of my life: My first job was at Putsch's Cafeteria at Ward Parkway Shopping Center. I was 15 and it was not my dream job. I wrapped silverware. Every Saturday, 9-5. That's a heckuva lot of utensils.
My mom would periodically come to Putsch's to eat lunch with me. She'd take a silverware bundle out of the bin at the start of the line, hold it up like a trophy, and proudly announce to everyone within hearing distance, "No one wraps it like you do, Janet!"
Silly? Sure. Important? You bet. While I might groan and roll my eyes, I went back to work ready to wrap. And I rolled those napkins tight. Because even if it didn't matter to everyone, it mattered to Mom.
Whether we're at work or at home, what we say to each other makes a difference. What we do for each other matters. Don't just do your job. Do it right.
Full disclosure: I worked at Putsch's 39 years ago. Mom still thinks I wrap silverware better than anyone else. But if you'd like to give me a run for the money, you can find tips at NapkinFoldingGuide.com, where I found the photo.
No comments:
Post a Comment