The Key on the Blue Ribbon

Your goal

Explain responsibilities and distinguish obligation from advice.

Read the story

Dario volunteered to open a shared workshop on Thursday evenings. People came there to repair bags, build shelves, or borrow simple tools. The organiser gave him a key on a blue ribbon and a short checklist. Dario had to unlock the door at six, count the borrowed tools, and check the windows before leaving. He liked being trusted, although he thought the checklist looked rather obvious. During his first week, everything went smoothly, and he left feeling pleased with himself.

The following Thursday, a friend invited him to help move a table before the workshop opened. Dario expected the job to take ten minutes. It took almost an hour because the table would not fit through the doorway. When he finally reached the workshop, three visitors were waiting outside. One had travelled across town with a broken bag. Dario apologised and opened the door, but he felt annoyed when a visitor asked whether the opening time had changed.

At first, he wanted to explain every detail of the difficult table. Then he remembered the key in his pocket. The visitors had arranged their evening around his promise, and they could not control what happened at his friend’s house. He told them that he had accepted another task without leaving enough time. He wrote the actual opening time in the workshop book and contacted the organiser. Describing his own decision felt uncomfortable, but it made the problem clearer.

Together, they made a simple plan. Dario would arrive fifteen minutes early each week. If he could not open the workshop, he had to call the organiser before five so that someone else could bring a spare key. He did not have to solve every visitor’s repair problem, but he did have to provide access at the promised time. The organiser also suggested keeping the checklist beside the door. Advice could help him, while the opening agreement was a responsibility.

Over the next month, Dario followed the plan. One evening, a delayed bus meant he might arrive late, so he called immediately. Another volunteer opened the door, and Dario completed the closing checks later. The workshop now required fewer last minute messages, and its routine was easier to follow. Dario still helped his friend occasionally, but he checked his commitments first. He learned that accepting responsibility meant noticing how his choices affected people, then taking practical action when a promise was at risk.

A conversation to practise

Dario: Do I have to repair every bag?

Organiser: No, but you have to open on time.

Dario: What should I do if my bus is delayed?

Organiser: You should call as soon as you know.

Understand the story

1. Why was Dario late on his second Thursday?
2. What must he do if he cannot open the workshop?
3. How did he handle the delayed bus?

Practise the language

1. Complete with have to or has to: Dario ___ check the windows.
2. Use do not have to: Staying is optional. You ___ stay.
3. Complete with the past form of have to: Yesterday, he ___ call the organiser.