“Hello. My name is Dr. Chako, and I’m an addict.”
“HI, DR. CHAKO!”
One of my big fears about coming to Iraq was whether or not I was going to have access to Diet Coke. I drink between 3 and 6 cans or bottles a day back home. I rarely drink coffee, so this is my main source of caffeine. It turns out that I had no reason to fear. Our dining facility was well stocked. I just go to breakfast and load up my pockets with all the cans I can carry and head out on my merry way.
Until last month.
For some reason, the Diet Coke disappeared. All they had was Diet Pepsi. You fellow Coke drinkers out there (and perhaps even you Pepsi drinkers) know that there is a HUGE difference between the two. I’ll drink the DP in a pinch, and only with the knowledge that it’s a poor substitute at best. Habituation is a powerful thing.
This morning I came into my office to find a fridge stocked with Diet Coke. It seems my NCOIC (my office manager) went out in search of Diet Coke and brought me back a whole bunch from a dining facility an hour away.
I’m not used to being taken care of like this (no offense, honey). I’m not saying my NCOIC is going to get an award JUST for bringing me Diet Coke, but it’s this level of caring in everything she does that has me staying up late to make sure her award write-up reflects just how outstanding she really is.
4 comments:
I love your story, bro. I am an Executive Officer for our Hospital Commander. Because I am also the Group Practice Manager, it's my job to know many things on the business side of the house (Business degree put to good use!). But as an Exec to the Hospital Commander, in addition to many other things, it's my job to know his likes, disklikes, pet peeves, crazymakers and happymakers. The look on his face when presented with anything peanut butter at the right moment is priceless. My Performance Report is better than any other CGO in the hospital. He stratified me #1 of 45.
The key to a good man is effort, the key to a great man is a great assistant.
Keep them happy, and they will know every one of your idosyncracies and will be able to find that "special pen that you signed the first deal of your career" even if its just an exact duplicate.
Our sales assistant gets almost whatever she wants from me.
Because I know that when I need a white board to put in the studio or my favorite munchy , "Here you go Sean" as she opens the drawer.
Whatever they want is GOLD for me!
Awesome score on the Diet Coke!
I admit to being a Diet Pepsi person myself, so I know what it's like to have to "settle" for that OTHER brand.
Hang in there Doc. Be well.
We should have simply shipped every can of Diet Pepsi in existence to Iraq rather than invade the country; we would have turned the nation into a wimpy horde quickly. Diet Coke is the only way to go (except for Barq's--incidentally, acquired by Coca-Cola several years ago)
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