I was working the drive-thru at Starbucks, repeating the same peppy phrase to each coffee junkie that passed through, “Hi! Welcome to Starbucks. What can I get started for you today?” It was a rather slow day so, naturally, my co-workers and I were horsing around and flinging rubber bands at each other’s calves and getting to know our newest colleague. Little to my knowledge, we were about to be trampled by a stampede of soccer moms, impatient businessmen, and indecisive teens. Otherwise referred to as “people who just love to be difficult”.

*Ding* “Hi! Welcome to Starbucks. What can I get started for you today?”

I took their order as usual, but it didn’t stop there.

*Ding* “Hi! Welcome to Starbucks. What can I get started for you today?”

*Ding* *Ding* *Ding* *Ding* *Ding*

There was no end in sight. It looked as if a long metal snake was slithering through our drive-thru. Car after car crept into my view, drink after drink was ordered, complaint after complaint was filed. People returning their drinks because they “swear” they ordered it iced, or people insisting they receive free drinks because their last visit was unsatisfactory. The day had gone from sunshine and candy to fire and demons. A storm of stress and panic ripped through the store as our counter piled with frappuccinos, macchiatos and lattes. I put forth my best effort to balance the time I took to take orders, hand out drinks, and even run to slip stray cake pops into pastry bags; however, everything I did felt wrong. As every customer berated me, I slipped deeper and deeper into this dark pit of desperation. The window felt like pandora’s box, and every time I opened it, a new evil spirit flew through and smacked my face. I wanted to seal that passage shut with a sign that read, “Sorry, this isn’t worth my time.”

But just as I was about to shut down completely, in the nick of time to save me from launching scalding hot coffee into people’s laps, there was hope. A rope to pull me out of this pit I was in. A customer that understood that mistakes are made, and that it’s only a cake pop, so she shouldn’t care if she gets the strawberry or the cookie dough. Her friendly smile gently pushed all the weight off of my shoulders. She insisted that it was okay that I had inputted the wrong cake pop into the computer and that she was fine with either one. No episodes of ebullition or execration. She just stuck it out and went on with her day, might I add, after tipping us and wishing well upon the rest of my own day. I smirked and watched her drive off nonchalantly. She didn’t know it, but the rest of my day was a breeze after her small act of kindness.

 This random customer had single handedly made my day by practicing common etiquette. Through her simple, amiable attitude, I noticed how important it is to always try and keep situations bright and serene. Conveying negative energy only puts you and others around you in a worse mood, so why not just wear a friendly smile. It amazed me that something as simple as saying “thank you” and “have a nice rest of your day” with a grin on her face had, in fact, made me have a nice rest of my day. I try my best to be a reason people can smile because of that woman and I hope to see her again, so I can give her the strawberry cake pop that she deserves.