Such is the
situation with the coffee. I don’t mind
making it. I really don’t. In fact, truth be told, I prefer my way of
making it to most of the others practiced in my particular backwater of the
FDNY. However, the other day, when at
6am I had to make the coffee because none of the twenty or so dispatchers (many
with two years or less on the job) even
thought to do so; I was genuinely annoyed. When a few actually watched me make the trip
down to the water fountain to fill the coffee pots (why there is no sink is a
rant for another time) with not so much as the slightest “I’ll get that Chief”—I
was downright aggravated. I could just
hear the justifications rumbling through their minds, if they were aware enough
to even offer a faint excuse—at least to themselves: “so and so is junior—he or she should do
it;” “I don’t even drink the coffee”; “why
do I always have to do it”; “who cares about the stinking coffee—its too much
work anyway” and so on.
In that moment, as
I rolled around their comments and justifications and accommodations in my own
mind I was reminded about the traditions that are more than traditions. Little traditions in the fire service that
actually help teach a new person (a Probie!) to be responsible without direct instruction
for something—no matter how seemingly insignificant. Moreover, how that responsibility, even if its
just coffee, trains you to be aware of more than yourself. How being concerned about others—even if its
something that doesn’t directly impact you—is critical in the fire service if
we are going to be a successful team.
How, as a Probie, looking out for the little things instills confidence
in yourself and in others that you can be trusted to do the right thing. After all, if you can’t remember to check the coffee a few times a day or do it
without whining about fairness or justice—then how can you be trusted to learn
all the rules, and the policies and the intrinsic and essential skills you need to know that cant be found in any
book or on any test.
In that way, making
coffee is not just a Fire Department lesson.
Just as with many other simple tests of character, it is a minor event
that reveals so much more and serves as one of the many ways that character and
responsibility can be developed. I have
been told that no-one spends even a moment explaining to our new generation why
making the coffee is so important. I
have been told that none of our new people are ever told why it’s important to
be a part of the team, to do your “probie duties” and serve the role that a new
person should. One department I know of
has even banned the use of the word “Probie”—under the thought that it harms
our newest members and erodes their sense of self-esteem.
As I drank the cup
of coffee I made, and knew it would not be the last, I couldn’t help but wonder
about all the other things we do to help this new generation’s self esteem—and
all of the other things they will likely be unable to do effectively—or
confidently, if they don’t even get the most basic skills right or the lessons
of why the little things are so important.
More importantly, I wondered if they will ever understand that doing the
little things right leads directly to doing the big things right.
Finishing the cup,
with just a slight touch of salt to cut the bitterness, I had to ask myself—are
we really doing them any favors at all?
I can’t help answer that we aren’t.
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