Mind the Manners

This summer the ladies and I hoofed it to the Dallas Arboretum for time with the flowers. While strolling along, a friend grabbed my arm to see the following spectacle (above). That's you! she exclaimed. I didn't understand until she pointed out that most of the flowers were alike, but one flower dared to blossom in its true colors. She wanted me to see that I stood out. She knows how I agonize over this. I do believe we're on this earth to represent our real gifts and talents, but sometimes I struggle with what that should look like.

My ideas are hopelessly old-fashioned in the mod world. At Culinary College, I believe students should be seen and not heard unless called on. I believe in wearing the uniform because that is the expectation and the price of admission to class. You want to study here? Bring your cravat and sit down, on time, with your bouche ferme.

Yesterday in Culinary Class we had the usual interruption: A student arriving late to class, and loudly. "Where are your pants?" the teacher asked (there were pants, just not student chef pants). "Where's your cravat, where are your shoes??????"

Really? You're late and you're undressed after this many months in school? And you draw attention to yourself in this way? Julia Child would have waved the cleaver (one hopes).

When the student was told to could come back to class when correctly attired, she didn't just mouth off. She expleted. "This is Bowl Spit," she griped, only not those words. Worse, she stood there arguing the justice of the decision.

I was appalled - that a student would address a teacher in such a manner and have no regard for the time she wasted for her classmates. And then, she left, but came back without the shoes. When told to leave again, it got worse, and more uncomfortable for all of us. I'm old-school because I'm intolerant of such poor manners.

I wanted to bust her chops after class, but I'm not in charge and not the boss. I wanted to say "Listen, stop bringing the drama; you're using up everyone's time right before finals." What I really want to do is assign her to watch the grease dumpster. Yep. There should be a chair right beside it - a penalty box kind of thing.

I did see in one classroom that a chef has a toque, and it's marked, "I was late to class." Wonder who has had to wear THAT?

Message to unruly classmates: Showing your true colors may not make you stand out in the field. Or if it does, you're red for all the wrong reasons.