This morning didn’t exactly go as planned. I’d arrived early for my Weight Watchers meeting, giving me a little extra time to grab coffee and prepare for the day ahead. Starbucks sounded perfect—quick, convenient, and mostly, a chance to indulge in a few peaceful moments. Or so I thought.
Pulling into the Starbucks parking lot, I noticed something unusual. Typically, the drive-thru line looks like a slow-moving train of cars, but today? Hardly anyone was there. A rare sight, and I thought I’d just gotten lucky. Glancing at the express line for mobile orders, I decided to join it, figuring I’d zip right through.
That’s when it all began.
The Drive-Thru Dilemma
As I eased my car into the line, a loud, impatient horn blared behind me. Startled, I glanced in my mirror and saw a woman in a giant SUV waving her arms frantically. She was screaming something and gesturing in my direction. Her SUV hovered behind me like a tank, its size only adding to the tension. It took me a moment to realize she thought I had cut her off. I hadn’t seen her when I pulled in, but honestly, the setup of those Starbucks parking lots can sometimes feel like a puzzle no one has quite solved.
I raised my hands in a universal sign of surrender and shouted through my window, “I’m sorry!” That didn’t seem to matter. She kept honking, her frustration simmering and now out on full display for everyone to witness.
Worried about making a bad situation worse, I shifted my car into gear and attempted to reverse to undo my so-called mistake. Just as I started to maneuver, I noticed another car coming toward me from the opposite direction. Suddenly, everything felt like a scene from a soap opera, complete with cars inching dangerously close to each other. Okay, maybe no one was actually about to crash, but for a second, it felt like I was stuck in some coffee-fueled action sequence.
The second driver glanced at me with one of those exaggerated sighs of disapproval, shaking her head as if I’d deeply wronged her, too. The ordeal felt endless and embarrassing, and all I really wanted at that point was to disappear.
Inside Starbucks
Finally, I slipped out of the line, parked my car, and made my way inside the store. The blaring horns faded into the background, but my frustration lingered. Once I got to the counter, I couldn’t help but share the chaos with the barista taking my order. She smiled knowingly when I told her what happened. With a slight shrug, she said, “Oh yeah, that’s typical here.”
Typical? This was normal?
I shook my head and grabbed my coffee, feeling a mix of disbelief and sadness. How had we reached the point where honking, yelling, and rushing to beat the imaginary clock were acceptable parts of life over something as simple as coffee? I mean, were those extra two minutes of waiting in line going to derail anyone’s day?
Reflections on Patience
Sitting at a small table, sipping my latte, I thought about how that morning could have gone differently. What if people took a moment to pause, breathe, and approach situations with a little more understanding—or at the very least, patience? That SUV driver had no idea why I pulled into the lane the way I did. Maybe she assumed I had bad intentions when, in reality, I just misunderstood the flow of traffic.
I’m not perfect; none of us are. But kindness—especially in small, everyday scenarios—goes a long way. How much easier would the morning have been if everyone had shown just a little grace? Instead of honking, what if she’d waited for me to figure things out or waved to get my attention more calmly? After all, we were all just there for the same simple thing—a cup of coffee to start the day.
By the time I left Starbucks and headed to my meeting, I felt a little calmer, but the incident stayed with me. It reminded me to be more mindful of myself, to give people the space and time they might need, and to try not to rush in ways that only create more stress.
The world doesn’t slow down all that often, but maybe we could stand to slow down for each other. After all, a few extra seconds of patience can make even the busiest drive-thru a little less chaotic—and the coffee will still taste just as good.
