What are you most proud of in your life?

This is not seriously what I am most proud of, but I am a little proud of the last-minute ingenuity that happened in this very unimportant lunchtime event that took place today. 😀 I hope it brings a smile to your face. 😊

I work at a medical office where 3-4 times/week pharmaceutical reps bring in lunch for everyone in the office. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I went out to get my own lunch today because I could not stomach the thought of eating a burnt burger patty on a bun brought in from a local burger place. No matter how much building you do on that “build your own burger,” the flavor of that “cinder puck” still comes shining through!

It was a little before noon when I headed to Panera, thinking I was early enough to beat the lunch rush. I pulled into the drive-through and turned the corner behind the building to find I was the 4th car in line already. And, it was a SLOW line. So, slow, in fact, that I kept turning off my car as each car pulled ahead for their turn at the pay and pick-up window.  

I kept my window closed and the heat inside the pickup turned up to 73 degrees. Oblivious to the fact the windshield wipers were set on “rain delay,” I staired out the windshield through the large drops of water quickly gathering and creating small rain rivers racing down the glass, which like my gaze, was aimed in no particular direction. I was mesmerized by the beat of the wipers, no longer on rain delay, trying to keep up with the rainfall.

Finally, it was my turn to pay the crazy amount of money charged for my teriyaki chicken and broccoli bowl, large drink and an oatmeal cookie. Nearly $20! I happily handed over my money in exchange for one of my favorite lunch meals, found the perfect parking spot toward the opposite end of the strip mall, if that’s what it is called, and parked facing traffic so I could watch the lunch gunners drive back and forth on the road ahead of where I parked.

Reaching into the brown paper bag, I pulled out the napkins, set them on the consul next to me, pulled out the cookie packaged in its own paper cookie bag, and set it on the napkins. Then I reached in for the straw and removed the paper covering before pushing it carefully into the cup’s lid. Finally, I reached in and pulled out the teriyaki chicken and broccoli bowl, which was hot enough I had to be careful not to burn my leg with the bottom of the bowl or my hand from the steam as I pulled off the lid. I reached into the bag one more time to grab the fork or spoon. Neither were in the bag. Instead, I pulled out another straw! Ugh. I didn’t need an extra straw. I needed a fork or spoon to use to eat my hot meal.

My thoughts were racing. I did not want to drive back to Panera on the far end of the parking lot, only to have to wait in line again, just for a fork. It was cold and raining outside, so the thought of getting out of my warm dry vehicle to go inside the building for a fork was not very appealing at all. I checked in all the spaces I could think of to check inside the pickup for the unlikely chance there might be a stray fork or spoon lying around. No such luck. It would be a difficult meal to eat with my fingers.

Then, it hit me! And, I became very grateful for that extra straw. I took the paper off that straw, then carefully took the straw out of my cup of ginger ale and cleaned it off. I put the two straws side by side in my right hand. Voile!!! AMERICAN FAST FOOD CHOPSTICKS!!!  Or, in this case, STRAWSTICKS!! 

Worked like a charm. I was able to eat my lunch AND stay warm and dry. I couldn’t help but smile as I ate my chicken, broccoli, and rice, while watching the cars zip back and forth on the busy road in front of me, and listening to news on XM Radio.  

What would you have done?