Gift #4 - February 20th

I woke up this morning with a full blown cold - yuck!  If it weren't for the dwindling puppy food I would have never left the house.  But, that just wasn't an option today.  At the suggestion of my friend Emilie, I decided I was going to buy coffee for the person behind me at Starbucks.  I haven't had caffeine in almost two years but if there was ever a day for caffeine, this was it.

Before I left the house, I quickly made a few cards that briefly describe this project.  My intention is to distribute these cards to the recipients of my gifts if it felt appropriate.

As I drove into Starbucks, three cars pulled in in front of me.  I thought, "No, you're supposed to be behind me!".  I started to worry that maybe no one would pull in behind me.  Worry not - this is Starbucks people.  Before I could get my order in, Hello Mr. Jeep Grand Cherokee!  It was today that I realized how quickly we sum people up by looks.  My first thought was this gentleman would not appreciate this gift or be moved by it.  Then, I reminded myself, this is about my experience - stick to my plan - buy his coffee.  When I got to the window I told the cashier I'd like to buy the coffee of the guy behind me.  She didn't blink an eye - apparently this happens a lot?  Anyway, after ringing me up, I handed her one of my pre-made cards and asked she give it to him.

As I drove off I felt a little bummed that I didn't get to see his smile like I did after yesterday's gift.  Did that diminish my gift since I didn't connect with him?  Maybe it changed his day MORE than the couple yesterday.  Who knows, but I hope, whoever he was, he enjoyed his coffee.  :)