My dad passed away 16 months ago. It was a devastating blow as only three short weeks prior to his passing he was feeling flu-ish. We didn't know he would pass shortly thereafter. I am very grateful I had a chance to go out and see him and say my final good-bye to him. Some people don't even get to do that, so I understand how lucky I was. I've reflected upon his life as well as his passing, with a great deal of thought put into it - and I have realized a few things. The first and most important one is this: We only get one life and it’s worth living it. But we have to be true to self. I had been living my life in only a shadow of who I actually was and have recently discovered more about who I am. I’ve been employed at Starbucks for almost a year and I recognize now that I’m an empath who is able to provide comfort to customers by serving them in a manner that personally relates to them. I also discovered that I am an extrovert, and am not as shy as I once thought. This trait serves me well when I communicate with customers. My dad was an outgoing person. He was in the ministry for many years. He was a real people person. He was warm, funny, kind, outgoing and gregarious. People were absolutely drawn to his charisma and he was always the life of the party. Ministry in the United Church was an excellent profession for him. Yes, he was a minister, but he was also himself which meant he was easily approachable. What I noted though, is that some people couldn’t differentiate between where he began and where he, as a minister, was present. I have noted that there are people who put him in a role of Savior, sometimes putting him on a pedestal that I’m sure he didn’t feel comfortable being upon... Because he was such a down to earth guy. When I first began my employment at Starbucks, I recall sometimes serving a multitude of RCMP officers at once. Initially, I had been very anxious. I‘d never been in trouble with the law before, but all of my life when I saw a police car I would freeze and get nervous that they might catch me somehow for some infraction that I was unaware of. So when I would see police officers in uniform at Starbucks, looking formal in their attire, I admit I was initially serving in a formal manner to match. I didn't know how else to respond, (and I was still new to the POS system on the till and was learning about the various beverages and customization buttons on the order screen. ) But then something happened. I began to get to know each of the RCMP officers as people first, but with an understanding that an RCMP career is a dynamic part of who they are. There were several who stand out to me as being empaths, too - they are the ones who ask how our shifts are going, whether we have had a busy shift with customers, and other considerate talk, showing us that they also see us as people. Many are very kind and appreciative of the customer service we provide, (as well as the hot sandwiches, bakery items and hot and cold caffeinated beverages), which are important when working long shifts with horrendous shifts in shift times, switching from days to nights, then back again. I don’t know how they do it. They do it in a jovial manner, too. When they are able to have a break together - it is a time of bonding between colleaugues that I am sure helps to refresh them as they carry on through their long shifts. Their camaraderie always lends a pleasant and welcoming vibe to the cafe. When the RCMP officers come into the cafe or go through the drive-thru, I feel honored to serve noble people such as them, who always put others ahead of them. Every RCMP officer is a hero. They are someone who would sacrifice self if necessary, and those who are employed as an RCMP officer is willing to do so. When the RCMP officers leave the cafe when they get a call, my heart lurches a bit and I hope they come home safe. I prefer to say, ‘Have a good shift’ when they walk out the door, rather than ‘Have a good day/evening’, because I want to impart that I recognize that they are on call, and are putting themselves out there, in the line of duty. One time, there were around 10 police officers who were in the cafe on a well deserved break - they got an urgent call, so they jumped up, ran out to their police vehicles and peeled out of the parking lot with sirens blaring and lights flashing. I remember that the noise of the sudden upset of chairs being pulled back when they got up in such a hurry was almost deafening all at once. Every person present in the café sat in complete silence for a moment afterwards. You could hear a pin drop. You could tell they were wondering where the RCMP officers were going, and whether they would be safe. I see the similarities between who my father was and who RCMP officers are, largely through career choices. Both careers involve a person who is widely available/present and very helpful in the community and both careers involve an element where people can lose themselves as people - as in, who they really are, depending on how others perceive and view them, due to their calling, or, career choice. I’ve sometimes seen derogatory comments on Facebook groups about our local RCMP, (usually involving tickets being written up for traffic infractions, etc.) From what I've seen, though, I understand how hard our RCMP officers work. The integrity and level of professionalism that they possess and display are apparent to me. This is an important blog to me to write because I want to convey the message that definitely, if you are an RCMP officer, or other First Responder, that you are still seen. I see the uniform first as you enter the cafe, and as you approach the counter, I see ‘you' as a person. It’s important to me to also recognize you when out of uniform. Because whether in uniform or in regular attire, you are still you. And you are respected for who you are, as a person. Much Respect to those who put themselves out there, for others. Thank You to all First Responders. Your work is greatly appreciated. Photo credit: William Vavrek
4 Comments
Erin Flanagan Stashko
6/11/2019 03:22:08 pm
Thank you for your comments, Arlene, as well as for taking the time to read the blog. :)
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I just discovered this blog and I enjoy it. I work as a peace officer in the county so I don’t make it in to Starbucks very often. When I do, I’m always pleased to see that you’re working and enjoy our brief discussions in the drive thru.. plus you showed me I could get an Americano with less caffeine 😁
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Erin
5/4/2023 07:42:22 am
This is a little late to respond but I just saw this now! Thank you for taking the time to read this and respond! Next tip, I will show you how to get MORE caffeine, hahaha. As a first responder, I think it could come in handy. :)
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AuthorErin Flanagan Stashko Archives
December 2018
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