Keep Calm & Drink Coffee



A wonderfully gray and chilly Michigan winter day. Roads are icy, so its slow going to my chiropractic appointment at Chiropractic Unlimited. After a little snap, crackle, pop, I walk into one of my favorite coffee shops to do some work on my newly designed Ronin Krav Maga website (Link is to the current site. The new one isn't quite ready yet). There are a group of about six young ladies ordering and asking the barista a number of questions about the coffee selections, so I go to my usual spot and start unpacking my gear. I take off my coat, stuff my scarf into my sleeve. Out comes my computer, plug in the cord, get my earbuds, put in my thumb drive, grab my notebook, get situated. Forgot my phone is in my jacket pocket, I'll need that. Oh, my calendar is in my pack too. Have to have that too. Finally after all of that's done I sit down and see that the internet connection isn't working.  I screw around with that for a few minutes... still not working. Get up check to make sure I have the correct password... Yep, so why isn't it working?! Oh, only one person in line now... Put my computer down and wait behind a lady with two very energetic little boys about 3 years old. Cute, they were giving their mom a run for her money. Climbing on the shelves, rearranging the merchandise, re-climbing the shelves, re-rearranging the merchandise... She orders three bags of coffee beans, one Milky Way Blend, one Ursa Major Blend and one large bag of Burundi. 

"Oh, can I get those ground too?" She says. 

"No problem." Comes the reply. "Of course. Regular coffee machine right?"

"Yea."

"Do you want a bag?"

"Yes please, that'd be a big help." She exclaims as her two monkeys squeal joyfully and continue to climb all over the poor lady. 

Finally, I'm up. My big moment! I lament as I take my place at the counter to place my order.

"Your usual?" The barista says casually.

"Absolutely."  

By now my mouth is watering as I think about that frothy goodness touching my lips and the energizing caffeine from the Latte God coursing through my veins. I'm ready! 

"Oh, we don't have any 2%." The heartless barista says nonchalantly as only a millennial can.

You gotta be fu*#ing kidding me?! After all of that?! That would have been nice to know two hours ago! I thought as I did my best to paint on a slight smile of indifference. 

Suppressing the knee jerk emotional response to throw a Bruce Lee style nuclear reactor beat down on the kid and then burn the fn place to the ground. (Cut away to a scene from something like Sly Stallone's cheezy 80's movie Cobra.... "You're the disease my overly casual millineal barista and I'm the cure... BOOM! hahahahaha! Or the ever popular Scarface... "Say hello to my little friend.... ratatatatatatat... hahahahaha!!).  

Yes, it IS sometimes hard to believe that I am 46 year old man who teaches conflict management for a living! My inner child is, well, still a child. Picture Calvin, from Bill Watterson's beloved Calvin & Hobbes comic series. =)

You may be wondering the same thing the barista was; why couldn't I just change my order to one of their other offerings like whole, almond or soy milk? Well, whole milk slaps my stomach around like a red headed step child and the other two choices just taste like crap. If I'm going to pay $95 for my pretentious coffee, I was going at least get what I wanted. But that wasn't going to happen here today. So, what seems like an hour later I finally get my gear packed back up and go on my way.

Ahhhh... The Holiday Season! 

As you might suspect (hopefully) I am over dramatizing the interaction, it really wasn't that big of a deal. Yes, a little frustrating, maybe even disappointing, but no big deal, it wasn't even really worth mentioning. In reality the interaction took maybe 10 or 15 minutes. They told me they didn't have my usual, I smiled, thanked them, wished them a Merry Christmas and went on my way. I embellished the story to drive my point home. So what is my point? 

Don't let the small stuff distract you from your Holiday Cheer!  

It's so easy to become overwhelmed with life especially this time of year, but don't loose sight of what we are supposed to be celebrating. "Goodwill toward all" and stuff! That's right! This is a time to be thankful! A time for empathy, compassion and love! So, 
Take care of yourself. You'll enjoy the Holidays so much more if you don't loose your baseline. 

How?! 

I'm glad you asked. 

Here are some suggestions:  

  • Get some sleep!
  • Don't over do it on the junk food and drink 
  • Exercise (even a little)
  • Be grateful for who and what you have in your life
  • Keep it simple
  • And Breathe, damn it, Breathe!
Happy Holidays Everyone!

All the best,
~Craig

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