Starbucks

I have a love-hate relationship with Starbucks. I know I’m not the only one. I can go for months without going to Starbucks but then out of the blue I will start craving a classic drink or something new I saw advertised on social media. Yesterday, I decided to order myself a drink, sit inside my local Starbucks and read a book. As I sat there and watched the young people from the local high school walk in I realized why I hate Starbucks. Now, it isn’t really Starbucks' fault as a company, but for some reason they do represent something that bothers me.

As I watched the young folks walk in and order their drinks I noticed their expressions and body language. So while they ordered their drinks they were relaxed and chatting with their friends. However, once they received their drinks and they held it in their hands their body language changed. It was as if that very large plastic cup in their hands gave them some kind of power. This is what bothers me, I know, I know, I sound like the bitter old man in front of his yard. I can’t help but notice this as I’m sitting there. Of course then I feel like I am somehow contributing to this fake reality that having a Starbucks drink in your hand makes you more powerful.

As I sat there not really reading my book, I started to remember when I first heard of Starbucks. I remember talking to my friends about how confusing the menu was. For some reason the cup sizes we 80s kids used our whole lives were now changing when we ordered at this Starbucks. Apparently new lingo was to be used if you wanted to buy a Starbucks. Well, guess what, we did just that. This new company felt powerful. My friends jumped on the bandwagon immediately, I was hesitant as I always am with new things.

Now I have always liked my coffee with milk and making it very sweet, so when I tried my first Starbucks Frappuccino I was in love. I liked how they styled their cafe and enjoyed having a drink with my friends. But as time passed by I started noticing that Starbucks was starting to take over my friends' lives. We could not have a conversation without stopping at a Starbucks. Some of my friends were obsessed with their membership cards. I also noticed that when I suggested we go somewhere other than Starbucks or if I said I didn’t really like Starbucks it caused some discomfort in my friends faces. I just didn’t understand how some place that sells coffee could take over our lives so quickly.

My friends tell me that I am a non-conformist which to me sounds a bit extreme. I feel like if that was the case then I would never go to Starbucks and refuse to purchase their products which isn’t the case. When I really think about it, it’s not the company’s fault that everyone has made their products part of their lives. Really it’s us, the people, that are the ones who accepted and adopted this company as part of our life. I’m sure if the company were to ever disappear we would all just move on to the next one. We would find something else to replace that feeling. I guess I’m just an observer. I am always in awe of the human race and how it works. I also know that for some reason I always feel as if I’m outside of the human race which is why I feel the need to write.