I had a rough morning. Maybe it’s because today is so gray and gloomy. Maybe it’s because I got excited about a Snow Day and stayed up late eating ice cream and watching movies without realizing today’s Snow “Day” doesn’t start until after the sun goes down. Maybe it’s because my to-do list includes drafting press releases, and that’s pretty much my least favorite task in the world. (Probably it’s all of the above.)
On my walk to Urban Standard this morning, I was tempted to turn back around and go back to bed, or maybe cry into another bowl of ice cream. The promise of a cup of coffee at the end of the journey kept me walking, and I’m glad it did. I got my Americano, but more importantly, every single staff member stopped and asked how my day was going. We commiserated about the weather, laughed a little bit, and asked each other about our lives. It wasn’t much, but it doesn’t take much sometimes. What I needed to start the day (in addition to caffeine, of course) was a little kindness, and my baristas came through.
Today, on a day most of us were expecting a day off work, it’s probably good to remember not to pass our grumpy moods on to our servers and baristas and bartenders and co-workers. They had to come to work on a Snow Day, too, and they’ve probably had to deal with moody customers all day (as well as about a zillion conversations about the weather). And when they do go out of their way to show kindness, like Luke and Trevor and Jared did at Urban today, it’s worth paying more attention. Maybe say thank you. Maybe mention the business on social media to show your support. Definitely tip a little better.
Oh, and you might want to pick up a bag of coffee, too — you never know if we’ll all be snowed in tomorrow.
Carrie Rollwagen is author of The Localist: Think Independent, Buy Local and Reclaim the American Dream and co-founder of Church Street Coffee & Books. Find her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @crollwagen.