During my second year of Catering school, our professor - Front Office Operations, gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and loved what I did. I play a guitar, am interested in music, so it was'nt difficult and I breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”
I thought this surely was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.
Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. “Absolutely,” "It will make all the difference" said the professor. “In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘Hello’.”
I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Margaret.
My second job, was with the Ambassador. Another lesson I will never forget. N.S.Mathur was my Food & Beverage Manager, while I was a twenty year old Senior Steward in Room Service.
Two pretty young South African ladies checked in, short stay , two days. Having had the opportunity to serve them their first order, I also had the privilege of making their acquaintance - Rengie and Molly Naidoo, loved dancing and wanted to visit a disco. We had no discotheque's in Madras back then. The only one was at the Taj that had recently opened and it operated between 7pm to 2am (something of a first-of-its-kind in the Madras of the early seventies).
Long story short. I skipped work the next day and picked up the girls from the hotel and had a 'ball' that evening, dropped them back and for lack of transport, I stayed in the staff lockers. Went to their room the next morning as they were checking out in the afternoon, had a drink, lunch wished and saw them off, but could'nt go for my shift as I had already had a drink. So I went home.
The next day, I reported for my shift as if nothing had happened. Mr. Mathur came by, saw me there, motioned for me to follow him with a nod and I did. We walked to the elevator,(the old trellis-gate type) I, a step behind him. He motioned for me to enter, never said a word. Between the second and third floors, he opened the elevator door just a bit, it stopped.
Mr. Mathur looked me staright in the eye and said: "I know where you were yesterday, I also know what you did. I did not expect this from someone like you" He closed the elevator door, pressed the down button, back on the ground floor he opened the door and walked away without looking back. At that moment I realized just how much I had hurt that man. I also understood the ain of being let-down by people you trust!
Thank you Mr. N.S.Mathur, where ever you are, I dedicate the work I do today to people like you who by your sheer example showed me how we can lighten our own lives by lighting someone else's!
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