I Actually Have To Put One On

I’ve a tale to tell.  I stood in line with my nephew yesterday at the corner Starbucks, here in New Paltz, New York.  My nephew and I had walked into town along the rail trail.  I tried with get him to listen to the birds.  I wasn’t successful.  I didn’t want to listen to birds when I was his age either.  But the birds were varied and remarkable.

He has wanted a slice of pizza, but when he saw the hot dog man, and piped up, I got him a hot dog.  I asked the guy under the green umbrella if we could sit join him on the free chairs.  “Sure.  I’m not biting, just yet.”  I pondered this and took a bite of my nephew’s dog. 

I asked my nephew twice if he’d like one of the hot dog man’s beverages and he declined.  Heading up the road he regretted this and soon desperately wanted a SOMETHING to drink.  This felt like time to suggest a lesson to learn, rather than to immediately acquiesce.  Fortunately the wine store we visited had water and he was soon sated.  I always visit this wine store when I’m in town because I can generally have an intelligent conversation about places and tastes and preferences.  And then I pay a third of what I’d pay in China for a mediocre mystery bottle.

“Sure, we can stop in a book store.”  The town has three, or four of them.  I wasn’t looking for anything.  But I spied “Father’s and Sons” and which I’d wanted to get for my older daughter.  My nephew found a Star Wars book to his liking.  And then again, at the check out counter, “Slaughter House Five” was staring up at me.  I’d recently searched for that as well in Beijing, unsuccessfully.  My daughter had asked for novels about World War II. 

And by now it was time to head to our rendez vous spot at the Starbucks where I started this all off.  And standing in line my nephew wanted a “pink drink” which is apparently Starbucks hot new drink for youthful refreshment.  I got my triple espresso on the rocks.  When it came up I saw the barista reach for a lid.  I told her “that’s ok, I don’t need a lid.” “I actually have to put one on.” She replied with a bashful smile.  I didn’t protest but I didn’t understand, either.  “That’s funny.” I thought.  And as I went to my seat and began the first page of the Vonnegut novel, I thought about China where I always instruct them to keep the top off.  And they always oblige.  I would most assuredly have pressed if someone told me they were not allowed to do something that seemed stupid to me.  “Why?”  “That’s ridiculous.”  “You should be empowered to respond to customer requests.” I probably would have gone on for a bit in Chinese, trying to prove a pointless point.  But here, there is something unspoken, conveyed, beyond the words that suggests to this young lady and I both that it is a rule, a dumb rule, and it probably isn’t worth the time to debate or investigate it or indeed, discuss it at all.