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Hey friend, I’m not sure who granted her supreme power over the TV remote, but in our household, my wife has total control over the next streaming series that we are going to watch. My typical reaction to her dictatorial selection is somewhere between spousal defiance and childlike tantrum. To express my dissatisfaction with her choices, I typically opt to multitask my way through the first few episodes by doing dishes, vacuuming, or merely scrolling my phone while I pay half-attention.
No matter how hard I resist, however, I end up sucked in. Every. Time. It’s like she has some sort of magical power to select awesome shows. Or, perhaps I’m just easy to entertain. Whatever it is, it’s really quite annoying.
Of course, I’d never outwardly acknowledge (until now) that she made a great selection. This said, I suspect that seeing me transfixed by the screen is all the affirmation she needs to know that she was right…again.
This is exactly how things played out when she told me that we were going to start watching “The Bear” on Hulu. “Hulu?!?!?,” I said dismissively. “Do we even have Hulu? Does Hulu still exist? If you need me, I’ll be over here aggressively vacuuming.”
By the end of the 3rd episode I was hooked…totally stressed out…but hooked. NOTE: This show should come with a warning for those with high blood pressure.
Then, we watched the “Forks” episode - season 2, episode 7. It blew my mind. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was the most magnificent piece of television that I’ve seen since the series finale of M*A*S*H.
You know you’ve come in contact with a meaningful piece of art when it sticks with you…when you think about it the next day…and the next. I watched “Forks” over a month ago…and I’m still thinking about it.
So, what did I love about it? Good question.
In some ways, it’s a typical transformation story…a story about a disgruntled, troubled, down-on-his-luck restaurant worker (Richie) who is struggling to find his place and purpose in the world. Caution: spoilers ahead.
At the beginning of the episode you discover that Richie (age 45) was sent to train for a week at the best restaurant in the world - a posh, hyper-exclusive institution with a waiting list of over 5,000 guests. Richie was less-than-pleased when he discovered that he’d spend his week polishing forks - a task he considered well beneath him. The look on his face says it all:
Over the next 15 minutes of the episode, Richie has meaningful interactions with several co-workers. Every interaction gives him an opportunity to see how passionate these people are about the work they do.
In one tense interaction, his trainer (Garret) admonishes a pissed-off Richie for thinking that polishing forks is beneath him. Garret explains that the restaurant has a waiting list of over 5,000 people. When someone has the opportunity to eat there, it’s the Super Bowl of dining experiences. “So I’m sorry bro, but we need some forks without streaks on them…I need you to respect the staff, I need you to respect the diners, and I need you to respect yourself.”
“I can do respect,” Richie replies.
The very next scene is a pre-dinner staff meeting where Richie learns that the restaurant goes above and beyond by doing research on all of their guests. Among the diners that night will be two school teachers. According to one of the teacher’s Instagram posts, dining at the restaurant has been a long-time dream of hers...and they “have been saving up for this.” The manager then tells the staff that they are to treat the teachers like VIPs - send them caviar and champagne, give them a tour of the kitchen…but, most importantly, “We’re not going to let these people spend a dollar. Do not drop a check, I want to blow their f-ing minds.”
In yet another scene Richie asks an insanely busy co-worker “How do you do this all day?” Her response: “Because every night I make somebody’s day.”
Throughout the episode, we watch acts of service transform Richie's perspective - not only on the work he’s doing, but also on his own life.
I believe the show's title “Forks” has a dual meaning. Yes, Richie is polishing forks for a good portion of the show. But, his life is also at a crossroads - a fork if you will. He’s either going to continue down a path of anger and self-destruction or he’s going to take a better path.
The audience gets to see Richie transformed through acts of service. Genuine, considerate acts of service that need no recognition. The joy is not in being acknowledged - the joy is in seeing the smile on someone's face.
This 35 minute masterpiece reminded me of times when I’ve had the opportunity to serve others.
Question: When you go out of your way to serve someone, who leaves that experience feeling better? You, or the person you served? You do - almost every single time.
Mahatma Gandhi famously said: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
Now that I’m several pages deep in this email (thanks for sticking with me), you might be wondering why I wanted to share this with you today.
Perhaps it’s because I was emotionally moved by a TV show - a work of art that you might want to add to your own viewing list.
Perhaps it’s because our aim at ROAD iD is to serve you with the same sort of excellence that this restaurant exemplifies. Our team works really hard to put Purpose Over Profit, Be Remark-able, and Care Deeply - all while doing our best to show you that we're real humans - honest to goodness real people that actually care about you (our customer) and the way we do business. So, yeah, it’s entirely possible that I loved this episode because it felt "familiar."
Or, perhaps I’m sharing it because I’m personally inspired by Richie. Maybe I need to find more intentional and meaningful ways to serve others in my own life.
What if we all spent just a little more time serving others? What would the world look like?
It would be a better place. Period.
Thank you for your time today.
If reading this inspires any thoughts about acts of service, your favorite TV show, or anything really - I’d love to hear them. Simply hit reply and share with me what’s on your mind. I can't wait.
Your friend at ROAD iD,
 Edward Wimmer Co-Founder @ ROAD iD
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