ok … so … this morning i am working from the Starbucks in Andover Center … not as bustling & busy as i would’ve expected … but still … some change in the meter gives me about 2 hours to check email and do some light work before work { ;] } …
so … ok … this morning i am sitting next to these 2 asian high school students … very deep conversation going for this early in the morning, for this early in life … something like the following :
“i consider myself to be a happy person … & most of the time i am happy & i just wake up & feel like, think to myself ‘i really love life & i am happy to be alive’ … but then there are days when i wake up & i really just hate myself & i don’t like who i am”
“i think Andover is just sucking the life out of us …”
“yeah, maybe … there’s just such a focus on material possession, all the things you can buy … coming here i feel so different, everything is changed …”
… & then the conversation goes on … in & out of talking about future business school plans & how much less time there is for family to interact & so on … really deep & real concerns … things that i do not think of culturally all that often since i am so embedded in it alL …
i have been trained well, i guess …
then, the sideburns adorned barrista in black stops by & asks if we want to try out samples of the new maple latte or something … little papercups of hot liquid covered in a dollop of whipped cream & a drizzle of something nice … one of the asian students & i take a sample & move on … everything is happy for a moment or 2 … the bus goes by … IRRESISTIBLES catches the morning sunlight, the storefront sign all white knockout capitalization on a deep blue, perhaps cobalt blue …
the first hit is free … the first hit of happiness in a papercup …