The Parable of Charles and the Biscuit
Sometimes in one's life things happen that make you want to punch someone in the face. And then there's other times when you want to, with words alone, stomp someone into the ground so far that the next time they open their mouths in anger at someone for no reason they may think about you and decide not to act like a five-year-old throwing a tantrum. Alas as many of you in service know that despite desperately needing a good tongue thrashing this trash-heap of a person in front of you is in no way worth your job whether you like said job or not. Such was a situation today with me... and because I could not do what I desperately wanted to do I had to remind myself of the little story I am about to put forth to you:
One Saturday morning shortly after I started working at my last job. A crumudgeony old fart had gotten his breakfast and began berating his server about the size and texture of the biscuit that came with it. The server apologized and promptly went to get him another biscuit. This one as well was not up to his standards and he asked to see the manager. The manager on duty happened also to be one of the owners who at times can be "difficult" in his own right. Charles comes out of the kitchen, where he had up until now been working the line, listens to this man and his complaints, asks, since he is not wanting to eat the biscuit, if he would like toast or an English muffin instead? But this man just would not let it go. He continued to complain about the biscuit and demanded to know why we would serve this sort of thing to him, and a few other things along those lines. He, during his tirade, completely failed to notice his mistake. Charles, however, did not and when he could get a word in, responded with this pearl of modern wisdom, "Sir, I don't understand why this is such a big problem for you. I mean, there are people in this city who don't have homes anymore and you're giving me shit about a god damned biscuit!?" The man stared at Charles. He knew there was nothing to be said after that and he left shortly after.
And this my dear friends is what you should remember, and perhaps imagine the look on the Fart's face after Charles said that to him, the next time you are confronted by something that I have come to refer to as "a biscuit situation."
One Saturday morning shortly after I started working at my last job. A crumudgeony old fart had gotten his breakfast and began berating his server about the size and texture of the biscuit that came with it. The server apologized and promptly went to get him another biscuit. This one as well was not up to his standards and he asked to see the manager. The manager on duty happened also to be one of the owners who at times can be "difficult" in his own right. Charles comes out of the kitchen, where he had up until now been working the line, listens to this man and his complaints, asks, since he is not wanting to eat the biscuit, if he would like toast or an English muffin instead? But this man just would not let it go. He continued to complain about the biscuit and demanded to know why we would serve this sort of thing to him, and a few other things along those lines. He, during his tirade, completely failed to notice his mistake. Charles, however, did not and when he could get a word in, responded with this pearl of modern wisdom, "Sir, I don't understand why this is such a big problem for you. I mean, there are people in this city who don't have homes anymore and you're giving me shit about a god damned biscuit!?" The man stared at Charles. He knew there was nothing to be said after that and he left shortly after.
And this my dear friends is what you should remember, and perhaps imagine the look on the Fart's face after Charles said that to him, the next time you are confronted by something that I have come to refer to as "a biscuit situation."