As most of you know, I work for Starbucks. And as most of you know, I really enjoy the people, the atmosphere, the customers (well, for the most part). Sometimes people will come in for a coffee, and by the time they leave, I am grateful to them for reminding me that there are some really exceptional human beings on this planet.
Here are a couple of stories from the last couple weeks that make me smile:
#1 - We had a homeless man come in a couple of weeks ago, get in the line, order his coffee, and then apologize that he had forgotten his money. We told him not to worry about it, thanked him, gave him his coffee, and I then turned my attention to the next man in the line. He ordered a grande, non-fat, no whip pumpkin spice latte and handed over exact change plus a twoonie. As I returned the two dollars he quietly pushed it back to me and said that he was paying for the coffee that we had just served to the now-gone customer in front of him. In a store full of staff and customers, he wasn't doing it for recognition, but to do something nice for someone else. Now, I realize two dollars isn't a lot of money to most of us, but it allows us to keep serving coffee to people who need a hot drink to stay warm on rainy night.
#2 - Another man who comes in for a hot chocolate or a dark coffee sometimes, whom we don't charge (we can only serve a batch of coffee for 60 minutes before it gets the sink, so at night we have a lot left over anyway!). We usually chat for a while, he gets in out of the cold for a bit... but here's the part that really got us last Friday night. Just before he left, we saw him dump some change in our tip jar and then head out the door. I think it might have been about 35 cents, maybe 50, but we were absolutely floored. Again, what's 35 cents? To me, it's a nuisance. But when it's all the money that you've got... I almost cried.
Anyway, not sure why this needs to be blogged, but I feel like it was necessary. Perhaps it's more for me than you :).*
Thinking of doing a Sara's Countdown to Christmas... it can be the 30 Days of Christmas Crud or something like that... cuz you've all been naughty, of course.
This is Hitler the Snowman... just a taste of the delight that you shall expect in the countdown to Christmas [sings soflty, "Happy Biiiiirthday, Dear Jesus, Happy Birthday to Youuuuuuuuuu.."]
*and what we know is that it's all about me :p
