Making the Most of What You Have

Making the Most of What You Have

 If you believe the saying that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, then the people in New Orleans have got to be among the strongest people in the world. I went back home several times in the past year and each trip brought a new level of appreciation¹ and gratitude² for what my friends and family have been dealing³ with for the past few years.

My first trip home a few months after Katrina showed a ghost town: blue tarp roofs, empty and deserted⁴ yards, and no bikes, cars or any signs of life. On this last trip, the blue tarp roofs had disappeared, but many of the streets were still mostly empty. 

On my last night in town, a group of us decided⁵ to try a new restaurant by one of the city's top chefs. It was a Saturday night and the place was packed with locals. Our waiter welcomed us and took our drink orders. No sooner had he left the table when all the power went out in the restaurant.

An alarm sounded, and he returned to tell us the hotel next door's fire alarm was responsible and the fire department was on its way. There were no signs of smoke, and the kitchen had a stove and oven full of fresh seafood⁶ and other items that would certainly spoil if not used that evening. They brought out candles and everyone in the restaurant ordered their meal. The waiter let us know things might be slow, but the wine and bread were already on the table so everyone relaxed and chatted as the food started coming out in phases.

For more than three hours, the locals enjoyed a delicious meal by candlelight. The sirens⁷ blared outside and lights flashed, but everyone stayed. Because the computers were all down, they couldn't ring up bills at the end of the evening. The owner went table to table, telling everyone that dinner was on the house and thanked them for staying. People refused to accept a free meal and offered cash or checks instead. The locals didn't want to see the restaurant suffer. I'm guessing that the restaurant actually made more money that night from the goodwill⁸ they generated¹⁰ by handling a difficult and stressful situation with class and humor. The customer experience was memorable¹¹ and an adventure. They didn't miss a beat.

New Orleans and its people have been through a lot, and they know what and who matters in their lives. They are incredibly scrappy and resourceful and when the power goes out, they start eating the seafood and enjoying the romantic ambiance that candlelight creates.

I visited the French Quarter, where the streets are busy and there is almost no trace of the damage and destruction from Katrina. The shops, bars and restaurants are full of life again. There are still plenty of parts of the city that need help. What can entrepreneurs¹² learn from the resilient people of New Orleans?

    * Stay positivebecause it helps you be creative during stressful times. If you believe that you'll find a solution, it forces you to consider possibilities you otherwise may not have tried. When failure isn't an option, it's amazing what ideas you can generate⁹.  

    * If the seafood is going to spoil anyway, you might as well enjoy a great meal while you can. In other words, fix the things that are in your control and don't waste energy or tears on the other problems. The chef and staff decided to make sure every customer had a great food experience that night with or without the power company's help. The customers ate and drank well and did not blame the kitchen for the problems that night. Once the firemen realized there wasn't an emergency, they helped clean out the refrigerator, too.

    * Keep a sense of humor at all times. This will make the journey much more enjoyable for you and everyone else around you. The kitchen made a quick decision to bring out the bread, wine and shrimp¹³ cocktails¹⁴. Everyone in the restaurant became part of the adventure that night, included in the inside joke so we all felt part of a special club. Who needs reality TV when you live as a real world survivor¹⁵ in your home town?

    * Vote with your wallet. If you want to support other entrepreneurs and companies whose products and services you value, then buy from them and tell others to as well. Everyone at my table left with a smile and a stomach full of delicious treats. We all agreed to come back with different friends and family over the next few weeks to let the chef know how much we appreciated him rising to the occasion on what could have been a complete disaster of an evening. So a table of eight turned into more than 50 people coming into the restaurant over the next month. Support the businesses and people you admire and you'll always be proud to be associated with them.

I'd be remiss¹⁶ if I did not leave you with one final thought. If you are looking for a venue¹⁷ for your next conference, meeting or vacation, check out New Orleans. The food and music will be memorable, and I'd be surprised if you didn't pick up some fresh ideas to help you improve your customer service and overall experience. It may also make you appreciate simple things in your life like enjoying some gumbo, a chicory coffee, and your neighbors, friends and family that you often take for granted when things are going well.

1 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

2 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

7 sirens   

n.汽笛( siren的名词复数 )；妖冶而危险的女人；危险的诱惑；塞壬（古希腊传说中半人半鸟的女海妖，惯以美妙的歌声引诱水手，使他们的船只或触礁或驶入危险水域）

参考例句：

• police cars with lights flashing and sirens blaring 警灯闪烁、警笛刺耳的警车
• In big cities you always hear sirens all the time. 在大城市里，你总能听到警笛声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

9 generate   

vt.生成，产生（光、热、电等）导致

参考例句：

• We need someone to generate new ideas.我们需要有人出新主意。
• This book will continue to generate excitement for a long time.这本书将在很长一段时间里继续使人们为之激动。

10 generated   

a.生成的

参考例句：

• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。
• It generated much excitement and frenetic activity. 这使人们非常激动并导致了狂热的行动。

11 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

12 entrepreneurs   

企业家( entrepreneur的名词复数 )； 主办人

参考例句：

• He is one of the entrepreneurs of the concert. 他是这场音乐会的主办人之一。
• Entrepreneurs are free to develop their businesses. 企业家们可以任意发展自己的企业。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

13 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

14 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

15 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

16 remiss   

adj.不小心的，马虎

参考例句：

• It was remiss of him to forget her birthday.他竟忘了她的生日，实在是糊涂。
• I would be remiss if I did not do something about it.如果我对此不做点儿什么就是不负责任。

17 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。