He entered his local coffee shop like he had every day, a million times before. Mostly it was never crowded, but today, for some reason, there was a line. The people working behind the counter were in a frenzy trying to get through the orders as quickly as possible.

There are several drinks that he likes,.. some more complicated than others. When he left his house, he had the thought of getting one of the more complicated drinks, but as he stood in line he decided to change his order.  Not to something he didn’t like, or want… but to the easiest of the drinks he usually gets.

It was not that he was in a rush, his job allows him a little wiggle room, but he had just watched a customer at the counter who, after being informed the very complicated drink they ordered wasn’t available, stood and stared at the menu for a while, making everyone wait, before ordering another very complicated drink. He felt the energy of the place become more agitated. 

The fact that the customer had no sense of their surroundings, no consideration towards the other people in line or behind the counter – the fact that their own material desire was the only variable in the equation they used to make choices – made him place a black mark next to their image in his mind. And, it made him change his order as a courtesy to the people around him that he sees every day;.. for both time and mood.

He saw this as a singular event. Only occasionally is there such a line at his usual time. If this crowd became the norm he would change his routine. It is best to be able to flex a little when needed.