Making a Difference

I believe that in every life there is an opportunity to make the world around us better. Sure, sweeping social reform or a repaired education system or a reasonable and sustainable healthcare program for our elderly are a bit out of reach for the regular reader of Pr3++yG33kyTh1ng, but there are other ways to improve society which present themselves to us every day.

I guess I never really believed that until yesterday, though I thought I did. One has to really see that kind of opportunity happen before the concept crystallizes and crosses over into reality, becomes a part of a person, a new-found core belief that there is work to be done and that in the end, all the work will be worth it because people's lives will be made better, and the world will make more sense. Like the butterfly in Brazil which flutters and causes the powerful storm across the planet, effort will translate into result.

Side note: Why doesn't someone kill those butterflies? They cause billions of dollars a year in damage across the globe and gave us an Ashton Kutcher movie. Do I have to do everything myself?

Okay. My opportunity:

Every day I mostly wake up, stumble into some pants or something and then drive to work. I park on the third floor and walk down two flights of stairs, then across a breezeway and into the lobby. I select the correct elevator bay and climb in the first one with an up arrow, then ride up to my floor.

You may have seen the flaw in this plan already. There is no coffee in it.

I spend the first hour of consciousness every day with no coffee. At all.

Side note #2: Avoid me early in the morning like I have some kind of nasty disease which turns people into brain-devouring zombies.

So yesterday I got most of the routine correct, except that the elevator door opened a few floors below mine and I reflexively stepped out.

As one would expect, my office was not there.

But now I know what is there. 

The regional headquarters for Starbucks Coffee is there. And now they know me.

Apparently, all the Baristas come to my building for training and the cafe downstairs sells beta-version Starbucks coffee you can't get anywhere else and, most importantly, I can stop by every day several times until we get back our freaking sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup!

This, my friends, will be my contribution to the world, my kindness, my truest hope for meaningful change in our lives.

- G