Last weekend, I worked the closing shift at Scooter’s. It was insanely busy, so when the clock finally struck 6pm, I flipped the open signs off and quickly began cleaning. Around 6:10, a car pulled up to the drive thru, so I kindly told them we had just closed.
The four women in the car then decided to tell me EXACTLY how that made them feel. Based on the amount of cuss words they verbally chucked at me, I concluded that they were utterly DISTRAUGHT that Scooter’s was closed. DiStRaUgHt. Truly, one of them must have been having a heart attack. (Good thing I didn’t give her coffee, because we all know THAT wouldn’t have helped.) Tone of voice, man. It’s a killer. And the amount of anger they slashed at me truly left me speechless.
I’m going to be honest. I cried. (I know, I know, “Emily cried?!? The Theatre major FEELS things?! Ha. Tears there, don’t care.) Alone, in my little Scooter’s box, I cried as those women drove off full of more anger than I have witnessed in a very long time. At first, the tears came out of pure shock. It hurts when people treat you as if you’re nothing. Then I realized how truly SAD it was, that people could get that upset about something as small as coffee.
I understand that coffee is something special, but it should not be in control of our happiness. And I’m not just talking about coffee. Facebook, twitter, working out, money, the perfect outfit, the list goes on. We are all guilty of letting material things control our happiness. And we are all guilty of getting angry/worked up/frustrated about things that, in the grand scheme of things, don’t really matter. We’re human. We mess up. (Thanks, Adam and Eve.) But, I think the first step to true happiness begins when we recognize that we were made for MUCH more than Facebook, twitter, money, “the perfect body”, and let’s be real people, COFFEE.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 12:28-30
a FOCUSed thought 