Today was the grand opening of the Chipotle half of Starpotle/Chipbucks (Starbucks+Chipotle) right off campus. Needless to say, it was an excellent day. However, it wasn't just the three tacos overfilled with black beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese and lettuce that made it so good. Rather, it was the fact that literally everyone in Chipotle had a smile on. We walked in to be greeted with a chipper "welcome!" by the managers, and proceeded to be served by the friendliest food service workers I have ever seen. When I looked around at all of the tables I noticed that they were filled with college students dreading the start of midterms in two days, yet still smiling and laughing. When we got our food to go and headed out to the car, I noticed that I too had a huge grin on my face, feeling uplifted from being in such a wonderful environment, even if only for a short period of time.
I have two points to this story. The first is that Starpotle is the best invention ever, and the second is that perhaps a smile really can make all the difference in someone's day. And if one smile can make all the difference, then perhaps many smiles all collaborating together can really instill change. I realize that this sounds ridiculously cheesy, but I also know that I have never felt so happy after going into a fast food establishment before. Being in an atmosphere void of negativity makes it impossible to be anything but overjoyed. It also made me think that our society greatly underestimates the work that so many people do.
When we think about professions that people enter because they want to make a difference in the lives of others, certain ones instantly come up: medical professions, education, social work, etc. However, if you really think about it, baristas at Starbucks are often the first people that coffee drinkers (a majority population) talk to in the morning other than their family members. While we may not consider them powerful or influential people in society, perhaps we should. They hold the power of making or breaking someone's day, and that's a superpower if I've ever heard of one. While Starbucks baristas may hold the most of this superpower in society, we all have it. Every interaction of everyday consists of the potential to uplift or to diminish, and every individual is powerful beyond measure in this way.
So, let's stop judging power by means of wealth, looks, gender, sexual orientation or profession, and start using our mutual superpower to make everyday the best day possible for every person we encounter.
