The Beau Geste (Part 1 of 12) Excerpted from an original manuscript by William Wolk
The term “entitlement” gets bandied about a lot these days in reference to the Millennials and the Gen Xers. It has become so much a part of the mindset of these generations that businesses have had to alter their hiring protocols. There are training courses offered to industries in how to talk to prospective hires because the mindset of these generations differs so much from the previous generation. They teach a “kid glove” approach to communicating with the younger job applicants. Once hired, keeping them is a whole other challenge.
The very humble early environment from which I emerged, made me truly grateful for any favors and kindnesses that came my way, and it was impossible for me to take any of them for granted. I had no expectation that I was due anything, so when a bit of good fortune came my way, I felt a genuine gratitude. Finding creative ways to express my gratitude became a fun activity for me. Beyond that, I began to notice that people were genuinely touched by these gestures, and, in many cases, these practices have led to lifelong personal and professional relationships.
The thoughtful gesture, the creative acknowledgement and the sincere “Thank You” have played an important role in my life and career. If this approach is not part of your D.N.A., I hope this book will provide some gene therapy. If you are not predisposed to this way of looking at conducting business, think about transcending, or at least suspending, your current beliefs which may be limiting you.
Regarding the views that I’ll be sharing with you, if you discover a benefit for yourself, I’ll be pleased. As far as merging with the cosmos, I promise that just as soon as I achieve it, I will write another book. Just remember, there is no how. Maybe that is why J. Krishnamurti, the great eastern philosophical and spiritual teacher said, as he relinquished his position as head of the Theosophical Society, to the chagrin of the religionists, that “Truth is a pathless land.” Discouraging news for those of us wanting a well-lit route.
As mentioned earlier, my wife and I recently enjoyed a trip to Italy. Toward the end of our visit, we found ourselves in the ancient city of Siena. We managed our entire transatlantic trip with only carry-on luggage. Our friends find this disclosure inconceivable, however Marie and I both discovered that we had brought along items we never needed and next time we will lighten our load even more. We liked the mobility this mode of travel offered. Nevertheless, after two weeks, the time had come to find a laundromat. I hoisted a pillowcase, filled with clothes that needed washing, over my shoulder and we headed off in search of a laundry.
We followed the directions given us by our hotel, but as we neared the location, we didn’t see the sign we were looking for. Nearby, the owner of a restaurant was attending to tables on the cobble stone street as he prepared for the dinner crowd. He didn’t speak a single word of English. I asked him, in rudimentary Italian, if he knew where the laundry was. In a friendly and happy manner, with all of the warmth that the Italians are known for, and eager to help us, he fired off his response in his native tongue while pointing down the block. Just another “cinquanta metri” (fifty meters.) “Grazie.”
The change machine on the premises only accepted smaller bills and we needed to break a large bill, so I headed down the hill to a Tabacchi shop for change. When the proprietor handed me the smaller bills, I asked him for some coins also. He said that the laundromat had a change machine for that, and so I returned to the laundromat. It turns out that the change machine was out of order. I was reluctant to return to the Tabacchi shop, so I returned to the restaurant that had provided us with directions. Once again, the owner, exhibiting endless patience with me, cheerfully provided the change. Good will emanated from him like light from a full moon on a crystal clear night.
Can you guess where we had our next two dinners? Though it wasn’t mentioned on the menu, they even prepared gluten free pasta for me. We felt compelled to return his friendship. He had endeared us to him. Our waiter served as translator between us and the restaurant’s owner. Our ensuing “conversation” was punctuated with no lack of belly laughs and mirth. Such a rich and enjoyable camaraderie. This illustrates the mechanics of the Beaux Geste. It knows no bounds. It is not restricted by either language, culture, place or time. It constitutes the high road in human relationships. As it turns out, we will be heading there again this summer and joining some family members who we will take to this restaurant. The owner may never know that this increase to his business links back to the cheerful kindness he extended to strangers who were looking for a laundromat.
