To the people who tail other cars - do you think it's not a big deal to hit someone from behind, or to stress someone out? Do you think it will make the person in front of you drive faster? Do you really need to drive recklessly to get somewhere a few minutes earlier? If so, then maybe you should have left your house earlier. Quit taking it out on the person in front of you that you didn't get out the door in time. I know it's difficult to go the speed limit too, but if a person is already going 5 or 10 over, then there's REALLY no need to tail someone. So back off.
To the people who freak out about something minor in relation to their coffee or any other Starbucks drink- how about you go to Africa and walk a mile to get some dirty river water, then a mile home to boil it, then maybe you'll realize that your coffee, even if the barista made it COMPLETELY wrong, is NOT a big deal.
To the people who drink and drive - are you ready to die? Or kill someone else? Or perhaps lose a limb? Just like you can get pregnant the first time you have sex, even with protection, you can have one of those major thing happen to you the first time you drink and drive, or the millionth time because you've done it before and think you're fine.
To the people who complain that the newspaper prices are outrageous - nothing in life is $2 plus tax. Heck, even those vending machine candies and sodas are like $2 each now. So if you don't want to pay that for a newspaper, go read it online. Oh, don't have a computer or smart phone? Go to a library. I don't want to hear you complain about the price of a newspaper anymore. Nor do I think Starbucks should waste their money on supplying them anymore.
To the people who are angry that we close Starbucks at 10 PM (or 10:30 on Friday and Saturday) - buy some instant coffee, make regular coffee at home, get a keurieg, go buy some coffee or soda at the gas station or Walmart, or something else that will substitute this addiction. Ice cream. Whatever. But stop driving up to the window and arguing with us that we should let you be the exception after we shut down the store, or complain that we should have stayed open later for you. We baristas also like to go home and sleep or do things around the house. NOT sorry you couldn't get there any earlier.
To the people who let their babies and toddlers sit in the front seat of a car with no car seat, or sit in your lap - what is wrong with you???? If you can afford to put gas in your car, you can afford to get a baby seat or car seat. There's no excuse. I see it too often through the drive thru. It blows my mind.
To the policemen - I'm so sorry that the world has to see the crazy ones or the ones that messed up all the time, because not all of them are like that. They're not all out to get you or racist or shooting for no reason at all. Every occupation in the world has people who royally mess up their job. I've come across a lot of different policemen (and police women) through Starbucks when they come in to get drinks, and they are really great people. They let me ask them questions whether they're on the job or not and don't get irritated with me, they are quick to help when they see we need it, and they're great people.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Introvert vs Extrovert
In elementary school I was extroverted.
In middle school I was introverted.
In high school I was extroverted.
In college I was introverted.
And now I'm both. Split down the middle. It depends on who I'm around, how many people I'm around, how long I've known them, how much coffee I have or haven't had, what time it is, how serious the atmosphere is, whether or not I'm PMSing, whether or not I am tired or not... I take the personality tests and I'm literally 50/50. I used to always think I recharged best as an introvert, and for the most part I think that's still true. I need a lot of time to myself to read, journal, pray, not have any sound, and think. But over time I've also realized I really need time with people to talk to and be around. So even in the "recharging" aspect I think I'm coming to be right in the middle.
Where I'm NOT in the middle is that I'd rather be talking to one person (or two, but three is pushing it) instead of being in a bigger group of people. Even at work when there are 6 or 7 us when I first get there in the afternoon, I'm just not a fan of it. There's too many different conversations going on, too many people I want to talk to, too many different personalities. When we dwindle down to 3, and then 2, that's when real conversations happen. At bible study, when there are a roomful of people, even if I know all of them, I still can't focus well in a conversation. I get distracted, feel overwhelmed, or can't get past the basics of conversations, because I'd rather be real with somebody and have a serious conversation. But you can't do that with loud noises and people needing to get by you. As a result, sometimes I hardly talk to anybody. Or I pull somebody off somewhere else, out of the way of everybody else.
On a side note, on talking to people, not that I've been on a plane a ton of times, but I have been on several different planes / flights to Kenya, Slovakia, and Seattle. But none of the times I've been on a plane have I sat next to someone that I really wanted to talk to for a long amount of time. I always thought it would be cool to find someone my age to talk to or someone with a cool story. Well, there's still time in life.
In middle school I was introverted.
In high school I was extroverted.
In college I was introverted.
And now I'm both. Split down the middle. It depends on who I'm around, how many people I'm around, how long I've known them, how much coffee I have or haven't had, what time it is, how serious the atmosphere is, whether or not I'm PMSing, whether or not I am tired or not... I take the personality tests and I'm literally 50/50. I used to always think I recharged best as an introvert, and for the most part I think that's still true. I need a lot of time to myself to read, journal, pray, not have any sound, and think. But over time I've also realized I really need time with people to talk to and be around. So even in the "recharging" aspect I think I'm coming to be right in the middle.
Where I'm NOT in the middle is that I'd rather be talking to one person (or two, but three is pushing it) instead of being in a bigger group of people. Even at work when there are 6 or 7 us when I first get there in the afternoon, I'm just not a fan of it. There's too many different conversations going on, too many people I want to talk to, too many different personalities. When we dwindle down to 3, and then 2, that's when real conversations happen. At bible study, when there are a roomful of people, even if I know all of them, I still can't focus well in a conversation. I get distracted, feel overwhelmed, or can't get past the basics of conversations, because I'd rather be real with somebody and have a serious conversation. But you can't do that with loud noises and people needing to get by you. As a result, sometimes I hardly talk to anybody. Or I pull somebody off somewhere else, out of the way of everybody else.
On a side note, on talking to people, not that I've been on a plane a ton of times, but I have been on several different planes / flights to Kenya, Slovakia, and Seattle. But none of the times I've been on a plane have I sat next to someone that I really wanted to talk to for a long amount of time. I always thought it would be cool to find someone my age to talk to or someone with a cool story. Well, there's still time in life.
God, friends, and thankfulness.
These are a few of the things I'm so thankful for lately...
A few nights ago at work, a homeless guy came in and he wasn't "all there." He was hard to understand and loud and asking everyone to help him or give him things. I would have been freaked out except that one of the guys there was a cop! He comes in fairly regularly, and he wasn't in uniform but he talked to the guy and asked him not to ask people for things and then found out his birthday and looked him up on his computer and found out that he wasn't harmless. He "escorted" him out when we closed, and told us there was a police car nearby if there was any trouble. So thankful.
Last week I had 4 hours of talking to my friend Emily about her trip and my previous 2 weeks. We write back and forth a lot throughout the week and she doesn't mind when I ask her random questions whenever I think of it. We listen to each other when we're emotional, and have each other's backs in tough situations. I'm so blessed for a girl that I can reach out to and know she will be quick to respond, and that we're always there for each other.
It's nice to have friends and people I know come in to Starbucks throughout the week. Sometimes it's people from church / bible study, sometimes it's people I've just become friends with from them coming into Starbucks a lot, and more. Sometimes they just stop in to get coffee and leave, and other times they sit and stay a while. It's nice to get the hugs or sit with people on my ten minute breaks.
God really has placed so many people in my life over the years who have been a huge encouragement in my life, from elementary school teachers I've kept in touch with, to people from my home church, to people at my various jobs over the years. Some are the kind to just be sweet and remind me that God has a plan for my life. Some are the kind to say, "You better not be beating yourself up right now. Because if you are, stop it. You made the right decision, and if you had chosen differently you would have been miserable right now, don't you forget that."
And lastly, and most importantly, I am thankful for the way God has written out my days the way He wrote out people's lives in the bible. Yes, we see that grand moment where God showed up in someone's life to change things, but we didn't see the years of normal days in that person's life. Sometimes we just get glimpses of it when it says, "And they waited for 20 years." Are my roots deep enough and secure enough in the Lord to weather the storms when they come? Do I let circumstances sway me til I fall over? No. But my ears are open, ready to act when God asks me to. I'm also learning how to let go. I thought that as I got older, the ability to let go of things would get easier, as if it were a childish trait that I would grow out of with maturity. But alas, it's something that doesn't go away. It's a battle. It's me saying, "Wait, God, do you really want me to let this go? Am I hearing you right? But why is this season over? Why is this not what you want for me?" And then trying to have self-control to let it go. (I know, you're thinking of the Frozen song in your head. If you don't know the song, shame on you and go look it up on youtube, it's called "Let It Go.") But His plan is greater than mine. He hears my fears, He sees my tears, and He reminds me over and over again that although this life will not satisfy me, that He is still with me through the good and the bad times.
A few nights ago at work, a homeless guy came in and he wasn't "all there." He was hard to understand and loud and asking everyone to help him or give him things. I would have been freaked out except that one of the guys there was a cop! He comes in fairly regularly, and he wasn't in uniform but he talked to the guy and asked him not to ask people for things and then found out his birthday and looked him up on his computer and found out that he wasn't harmless. He "escorted" him out when we closed, and told us there was a police car nearby if there was any trouble. So thankful.
Last week I had 4 hours of talking to my friend Emily about her trip and my previous 2 weeks. We write back and forth a lot throughout the week and she doesn't mind when I ask her random questions whenever I think of it. We listen to each other when we're emotional, and have each other's backs in tough situations. I'm so blessed for a girl that I can reach out to and know she will be quick to respond, and that we're always there for each other.
It's nice to have friends and people I know come in to Starbucks throughout the week. Sometimes it's people from church / bible study, sometimes it's people I've just become friends with from them coming into Starbucks a lot, and more. Sometimes they just stop in to get coffee and leave, and other times they sit and stay a while. It's nice to get the hugs or sit with people on my ten minute breaks.
God really has placed so many people in my life over the years who have been a huge encouragement in my life, from elementary school teachers I've kept in touch with, to people from my home church, to people at my various jobs over the years. Some are the kind to just be sweet and remind me that God has a plan for my life. Some are the kind to say, "You better not be beating yourself up right now. Because if you are, stop it. You made the right decision, and if you had chosen differently you would have been miserable right now, don't you forget that."
And lastly, and most importantly, I am thankful for the way God has written out my days the way He wrote out people's lives in the bible. Yes, we see that grand moment where God showed up in someone's life to change things, but we didn't see the years of normal days in that person's life. Sometimes we just get glimpses of it when it says, "And they waited for 20 years." Are my roots deep enough and secure enough in the Lord to weather the storms when they come? Do I let circumstances sway me til I fall over? No. But my ears are open, ready to act when God asks me to. I'm also learning how to let go. I thought that as I got older, the ability to let go of things would get easier, as if it were a childish trait that I would grow out of with maturity. But alas, it's something that doesn't go away. It's a battle. It's me saying, "Wait, God, do you really want me to let this go? Am I hearing you right? But why is this season over? Why is this not what you want for me?" And then trying to have self-control to let it go. (I know, you're thinking of the Frozen song in your head. If you don't know the song, shame on you and go look it up on youtube, it's called "Let It Go.") But His plan is greater than mine. He hears my fears, He sees my tears, and He reminds me over and over again that although this life will not satisfy me, that He is still with me through the good and the bad times.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
I need people
For the past two weeks, several of my friends were in Slovakia on a mission trip, one being my friend Emily who I talk to multiple times a week about everything. A lot of things have happened in the past two weeks for me, and I know a lot has happened for her too! My parents also went out of town the past week, and so I had the house to myself. I like the quiet and time to myself most of the time, but this past week was lonely. There was too much drama at work, I had a few hours of unsuccessful job searching, there was hardly anyone I knew at church last week, our bible study was super small the past two weeks so we just talked some or played games, and basically I was overly emotional with several things and couldn't pull myself together. I was thinking too much. I was overanalyzing and questioning things and trying to just watch more Netflix to drown out the thinking.
And I just thought... I need people. How does anyone function without close friends and/or family? Oh that's right, they're crazy or angry or stressed out or sad people all of the time.
I did have some good times with God, reading the bible, and praying. I even sang out loud in my house sometimes, just worship songs as I was cleaning or making food. But overall I was lacking quality time with people. Yes, I spent 37 hours with coworkers and customers, but that's not quality time. Even for those I like, we don't have in depth conversations most of the time.
So today my parents got home and I talked to my mom for about 2 hours, and my friends got home from Slovakia but they've been traveling for like 48 hours, so I just got some hugs in and will get to catch up with them later.
I'm so thankful for the people in my life that have forbearance with me, and me for them. I'm so glad that they listen to me, and forgive me, and vice versa.
And I just thought... I need people. How does anyone function without close friends and/or family? Oh that's right, they're crazy or angry or stressed out or sad people all of the time.
I did have some good times with God, reading the bible, and praying. I even sang out loud in my house sometimes, just worship songs as I was cleaning or making food. But overall I was lacking quality time with people. Yes, I spent 37 hours with coworkers and customers, but that's not quality time. Even for those I like, we don't have in depth conversations most of the time.
So today my parents got home and I talked to my mom for about 2 hours, and my friends got home from Slovakia but they've been traveling for like 48 hours, so I just got some hugs in and will get to catch up with them later.
I'm so thankful for the people in my life that have forbearance with me, and me for them. I'm so glad that they listen to me, and forgive me, and vice versa.
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