Little things in life do matter. Take your Starbucks cup for example. If your barista takes the time to write an “L” on the bottom to stand for latte that’s one thing, but when they write your name in some ornate way and maybe draw some designs that a whole different animal in the ecosystem of beverage art. And that little bit of extra time and attention makes me feel special. It really does. Not everyone gets an extra special cup with, like today, a cup with a nice spiral swirl at the end of the letter “L” in the word Tyler. And the “R” was all fuzzy and funky looking, as if it had been SHOCKED with electricity! At least 3 people commented on my cup as I drank my Latte today. In order to get a custom name drawn on your cup you need a few things. First of all, you need to be nice to the Baristas at your Starbucks. If you are mean to them and annoy them they will probably draw the information on your cup in a colored pencil or crayon. Or else they won’t write your name at all. The next thing is to make your Baristas laugh every once in a while. Remember, they are human beings too. So if you can add a little something to their day you will probably make friends faster. I personally like to make friends wherever I go. And here is the most important thing, if someone does go out of their way and they draw something special on your cup say something about it. Saying nothing is like buying a piece of artwork and when the artist asks what you like about it, you say, “I don’t like it, I’m buying it for the frame.”
So when I walk around town and I have custom name art on my cup I feel more special than I do than when I have normal cup. The only problem I have is that I eventually need to throw the custom cup out. It is like throwing away a piece of art. It is a painful experience. A little piece of suffering that happens everyday. I guess it is kind of like a nice haircut, it is only a temporary pleasure. In time it will all change.
-Tyler