Lessons Learned- The Bramble Pizza Incident

Admittedly, Sen. Curt Bramble is an outlier. He has an arrogance that few of us will ever acheive, even if we practice diligently. But let me speak from personal experience, that those who serve us, deserve our respect and courtesy. The people who serve us in the food service industry aren't doing it because they like it, but because they need to pay the same bills that afflict all of us. Some are paying for college, some for missions, some for their sons or daughters on missions.

Pizza delivery drivers do this for a wide variety of reasons, none of which deserve an ounce of scorn or belittlement. The same goes for waiters/waitresses, bartenders, shuttle drivers, etc. I paid my way through college as a waiter. I am not ashamed of that fact. I learned valuable lessons in how to deal with the public. I learned how to organize my actions in such a way that would maximize the level of service I was able to provide. I came away from that experience believing that anyone, who serves the public, should get their start waiting tables, and I learned to value a waiter/waittress who did their job well. When I do get exceptional service, I make it a point to ask the server to bring me the manager. I then, with the server present tell the manager that I received excellent service and just wanted them to know that. I encourage others to do the same.

The lesson from Sen. Bramble's experience is this. Rather than seeing himself as a public servant with a responsibility to behave as a statesman, Sen. Bramble acted as a man with entitlements based upon his titles. We should expect more from someone who serves in a position with this much authority, because it is clear, that his motives are internal to himself, rather than external to the benefit of his community. Power, as an end, has a great appeal to those who for whatever reason, need it to compensate for their own personal weaknesses. Being elected to a position of such prominence provides opportunities to serve, or be served. This one incident outlined graphically which opportunity Sen. Bramble is inclined to grasp.