The Cook in The Kid Used To Dream

My grandfather told me a story once that I NEVER understood. The older I get the more I get it.

This cook spent a lot of years perfecting his customer’s favorite dishes. Especially, one customer in particular. This customer spent every day eating at the diner for about as long as the cook had been there. Every day they would rave about the selections and the flavors. The Cook spent a lot of time listening and altering things just ever so slightly to catch the customer off guard to see if they were paying attention. Sure enough, they would compliment the cook on how he just seemed to know what the dish needed.

Then, one day, his favorite customer ate, paid, and left. There was no compliment or complaint. It was simply dead air and no emotion. Did he mess up the meal? Did he alter it in a way that the customer didn’t like?

One day his favorite customer just happened to be there with no other customers. So, he mustard up his confidence and asked what changed. The customer wasn’t quite sure that anything had changed other than themselves. They used to get excited to visit the cafe. They would feel themselves getting hungry just smelling the aroma from outside. The food was the highlight of their day. It made them warm when the weather was cold and happy when they were having a bad day. Lately, however, for no apparent reason the aroma does nothing for them and the food is just food. The customer said, “it wouldn’t make any difference if I ate or not - I get nothing out of the experience anymore.”

The Cook was devastated. He wasn’t sure how to cope with such news but the customer assured him that anyone else in the cafe would likely be a his favorite customer. He didn’t care for that because his life’s work was devoted to his favorite customer.

There will come a time when you won’t feel like you are of any value to others. You keep cooking son, and appreciate the laughs, smiles and appreciation when it comes. Love your favorite people no matter what they go thru - they still need your love or in this case - whatever you’re serving them.