Okay, I admit. I like bourbon. I like good bourbon. And I actually have some very good bourbon. But I would not call me a bourbon snob. I just enjoy good quality.
And the quality and effort goes into how someone does their job also.
To that point, I also enjoy a good Manhattan. Yes, a “good” Manhattan. Not something that my son Tyler has labeled “a wedding Manhattan”. That is a Manhattan you usually get at a wedding, when the person behind the bar just kind of guesses at the ingredients and then adds, ugh the horror of it all, Maraschino cherry juice!
And that brings me to what I wanted to address today. Your job. My job. Your profession. My profession. The mark we leave on others when we are doing something and getting paid to do it. (I know, right now you are wondering about the tie-in and if I have had too much of the brown Kentucky spirit myself. No, but it is what got me to thinking about the topic.)
You see, I was out in Las Vegas for a national sales meeting recently. We stayed at a resort/convention center which I had never been before. Not on the strip, almost thirty minutes away. Nice place. But during the course of the five days I was there, I had an occasion to meet up at the bar with co-workers for an adult beverage, and in my case it was a Manhattan. Each time I was there, there was a different bartender. And each time, my Manhattan was made entirely different. Really? (Okay, let me hit the “PAUSE” button here for a moment. For all of you who are not familiar with the cocktail, Manhattan, let me explain something. There are three ingredients if you do not count the ice or garnish, which may or may not be in the drink itself. There is Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth and bitters. Done. Period. To make it even simpler to follow and for those playing the home version of the game, the proportions of ingredients represent the area code for Manhattan, NY…2-1-2. 2 ounces Bourbon. 1 ounce Sweet Vermouth. 2 dashes bitters. Simplicity at it’s finest.)
Getting back to my topic. The only choices given, or variations when you order a Manhattan at a bar, should be 1. What kind of bourbon would you like? 2. Straight up or “on the rocks”? So I have gotten use to watching the bartender make my drink when I am able to do so. For three of the drinks I ordered, I saw Scotch used, I saw Dry Vermouth used and I noticed the barkeep use an orange colored liquid which was poured out of a plastic bottle which I later was told was “orange zest”. Orange zest? And each time I witnessed this, I sounded like a snob because I asked what they were making, because that was not a Manhattan. And yes, I got some very “stink eyed” looks from each one of the bartenders I asked. Sorry, but I simply wanted what I ordered. That isn’t asking for much, is it? And I wouldn’t think it would qualify me as a “snob”.
Okay, thank you for your patience and indulging me as I shared my sad story of a failed cocktail. But this caused me to come to WordPress and type. Here it is: If you are going to do a job, do the best job you can possibly do. There, I said it. I know, I sound like my dad, seriously I do because I remember him saying this to me. In the example of my failed drinks, the subject of my rant was a bartender. Know the basics. I don’t expect you to know every cocktail out there, but this one is very simple and a classic staple. And if you don’t know how to make it, ask. Or google it. But do the best job which you are able to do. Take pride in it, whether you are behind a bar, an airplane, a broom, sales catalog or an elephant in a parade!
And if you don’t want to do your best, find something else to do for a living. Take pride in what you do and at the end of the day, stop and look in the mirror. Not to admire yourself or notice wrinkles, but look in the mirror and ask if you did the best you could have done. If you did, terrific. Keep it up and let’s do it again. If you are not sure, or if you think you could have done better, that is an opportunity. Apply what you learned and do better tomorrow.
My son Drew shared a quote with me once upon a time. It is by Ralph Waldo Emerson and has become one of my favorites: “Finish each day an be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
This quote is taped to my desk lamp and reminds me to take what I did today and use it to do even better tomorrow. The key in this quote, to me, is the phrase, “You have done what you could.” I ask myself if I have done my best. Have you done your best? Did you put your best foot forward? Did you try to do the best, and somehow an “absurdity” crept in? What could you have done better? Are you happy with the work you did today? Can you look in the mirror and say “I did my best today”?
It isn’t easy, I know. But think about it. How much better this world would be if everyone tried to do this, tried to do their absolute best at their profession, even for just one day? A week? A month?
I have a feeling there would be a lot more people smiling and a lot more love spread around. Not a bad thought, eh?
Okay, now I need a drink…of coffee. Too early for anything else. Cheers to us all, and here’s to doing our best to make each other’s lives better and our life more fulfilling.