Redemption

Those of you who know me, know that I have, at times, communicated an antipathy to Starbucks. This view is not so much founded in an ethical/moral basis, like my aversion to Walmart, for example. From everything that I know and have heard, I respect what Starbucks stands for - healthcare options for all employees, even part-timers; fair trade, providing living wages for (some) coffee growers; at least some degree of social responsibility and awareness - no small feat for an enormous global corporation. Mostly, my aversion is due to my love of diversity, quirkiness, individuality, and character that is found in the local coffee shops of this world. As globalization inevitably steamrolls forward, I would like to do what little I can to resist the entire homogenization of life around me. Plus, I just enjoy supporting the little guy, the underdog.

Sidenote: I looked up the definition of "homogenize" = to blend (diverse elements) into a uniform mixture. The idea/image of that with regards to our world just makes me sad for what would be lost. I'm speaking of the diversity of cultures and ethnicities, of course. If we were speaking of living standards or opportunities - well that's for another blog entry.

However, this Christmas I received a $25 Starbucks gift card. My original gut reaction was to kindly not use it. But I quickly realized that would be: 1) wasteful; 2) exactly what Starbucks would love - $25 free dollars of pure profit with no exchange for goods. So then I decided that I would not only use my card - but I would also use their wifi to do my homework...for a long time. Ha! That would show 'em, right?

Turns out, Starbucks (in Iowa City, at least) doesn't have free wifi - you have to pay. (As if providing this service to their guests may put Starbucks in jeopardy of bankruptcy.) You better believe that I wasn't about to do that. Besides, I didn't like the impersonal, manufactured ambience in the shop anyway. Also, while I was sitting there, trying to find a way around the wifi issue, a lady walked in and ordered a "venti mocha with 7 shots". 7 shots. Now, I rarely go to Starbucks, so maybe 7 shots is the norm for a venti mocha (and you can correct me if I'm wrong). I was just impressed - to each his/her own, I guess. I ordered my "tall" (smallest size) latte with 1 shot of hazelnut (I was told the standard was 3 shots), and it was plenty (almost too) sweet for my taste.


Sidenote: I was listening to a segment on NPR a while back that was about a guy who was trying to run 50 marathons in 50 days in all 50 states. They asked him how he kept up the strength and energy between races. He said it was all about quickly replacing calories. And the best way he had found to put the max amount of calories into his body in the shortest amount of time was by going to Starbucks and ordering a venti something or other with a bunch of extra shots of something or other. At the risk of sounding a bit judgmental, I will speculate that the lady I saw was not in between marathons.

But there was one partial redemption in the partial redemption of my Starbucks gift card. They put those feel good quotes on their cups - you know what I'm talking about. On my cup was this quote:



"The world is smaller than you think, and the people on it are more beautiful than you think."
-Bertram van Munster

I like it, and I agree. My hope would be that more of us could see it that way. To see the world as our cozy, shared, beautiful little home. Something that we can trash if we so choose - or clean up, preserve, cherish, and enjoy together. To see people as they are - infinitely valuable, spiritual, funny, frustrating, difficult, confusing, complex, diverse, beautiful, needy, fallen, wondrous, eternal beings worthy of being respected and loved. We are all the same incredibly different beings placed in this enormous little world.

Thanks for reminding me, Starbucks. (And thanks for the latte, it was pretty tasty.)