What Free Coffee Tastes Like

So apparently, this is the way my mind works... this is me being honest....

I was at the Starbucks drive through at lunch time - just going to grab a quick cup because I had a bad headache and its been a crappy morning and the heat duct over my desk makes me feel like I'm in Bermuda (but not in a good way) and I just thought I needed something to make my day better. I wasn't in a bad mood, but I don't normally drive around smiling like I'm from Kansas or some place where people are always observably happy. I'm just pretty normal as far as Chicago drivers and their facial expressions go (except I'll never be the one that you find picking their nose or singing as if no one outside of their car exists).

Back to Starbucks - The woman in the SUV in front of me (who graduated from Purdue as the plate frames read -- another happy kind of place out in the middle of the corn field -- you'd think that Purdue would raise people who are smart enough to figure that life in the middle of a corn field is nothing to smile about...) pulled up to the box to place her order. The way the drive tilts, I could see her face in her rearview mirror and she kind of sat there smiling and it looked like she might have been looking at me, but I never know what people are looking at if I see them in their mirror... its a mirror for crying out loud. So -- I didn't beam back at her but just kind of sat looking at the back of her car.

Then - she proceeded to place her 10 minute order... I do believe I might have deeply sighed once or twice because I did need to get back to my box and all.

She pulled up and I ordered and then pulled up behind her where she was at the window now having an all out conversation with the Starbucks barrista (yes, that is what they're called). An hour later (or something like that), she finally pulled away and I pulled up. The barrista opened the window and said "the car in front of you paid for your drink".

Ok - here's how my mind works. My immediate response was a little bit of clip on my voice and a "what!?" because I was thinking about her looking in the mirror and did she think she knew me? I then asked, why?

Of all people - I'm asking why. Like I don't do enough things for people that would lead them to ask "why?" and here I am asking "why?".

My second thought was a little ticked because I thought -- because I wasn't smiling, she thought I must be a mopey person and needed something nice... And on and on my thoughts went.

The barrista said that it was a "random act of kindness". I kind of just shrugged, took my drink and drove off -- still bubbling a little bit about "how dare she judge me just because I didn't smile at her -- I can smile -- I hope I end up seeing her on the road because I'll just give a major, mind numbing smile that will make her regret thinking that about me..."

And then - I thought - now I have to "pay it forward" -- thats what I'll do, I'll just pass it along to someone else....

And then - I thought - this is scaring me.... This is how my mind works? Whatever! She was just being nice!

And then - I picked up my free coffee and tasted it... and thought... this is what actual free coffee tastes like. Just nice...