The Stranger I Met Today

Anyone that enjoys grabbing a cup of coffee from Wawa in the morning knows that the coffee prep area can get a little intense. Sometimes it feels like a ruck. In between pouring the coffee and adding the sugar, elbows are thrown. After a shove or two, frantic caffeine-deprived people grunt in defense of their territory.  Hands and arms appear to be everywhere. 

I stopped at a Wawa last week during rush hour. I should’ve strategized. I should have known exactly what I wanted. Going in without a game plan is the worst thing you can do. Did I want regular or Columbian roast? Did I want a machine cappuccino instead of coffee? I had not even considered the multitude of creamer flavor options. I went in blind. In the coffee corner of the store, I reached my hand out and the crowd was so distracting, I froze before I could even choose a cup size. There wasn’t a single spot available around the entire oval counter. 

I waited for some open counter space. I like to grab a cup first and pour the creamer before getting the coffee. From the right, I heard, “Ask and ye shall receive.”

I turned around. The music playing throughout the store reached a crescendo. There was a figure there, dressed in all white. Light radiated from behind the figure, framing his silhouette in a bright shine. One thought ran through my mind, “Is this a Wawa spiritual experience?”

“Ask and ye shall receive, girl,” the voice said, accented with just a soft touch of southern drawl. “If you need something, I’ll grab it for you or you can just reach across. We all need something here. Jump on in.”

The man waived his hand, motioning me towards the cups and creamers. I thanked him for his offer of assistance and encouragement.

I may have imagined the swelling music, but the light behind him was real (it was the way he was positioned at the coffee mixing station) and the all white was real (the voice belonged to a painter, he wore a completely white uniform). So, it wasn’t a spiritual experience. But after he spoke to me, I knew that I wanted a 20 ounce dark roast coffee with a dash of french vanilla creamer. 

Lesson Learned

This compact, tidy lesson arrived to me in three little words. Jump on in.