Embracing change
This is a transcript of a conversation between PETE and JOHN. They work in the same company. They live in a small town, and they happen to be neighbors, and software engineers too.
PETE: Hey John, did you hear about this new Green bottle coffee place?
JOHN: No never heard about it. Where is it?
PETE: It’s on Market St.
JOHN: Ah! I never drive on Market St. I always take Main St. to go to work. Been doing that for the last 5 years.
PETE: Not sure I get it, are you saying that, in the last 5 years, you’ve always taken Main St? Never tried an alternative to go to work?
JOHN: Yup, Main St. every single day, why would I change? Main St. isn’t Main street for no reason! Hey, did you know that if you leave before 8:06am, you can avoid the school bus coming from 4th St. You win around 2 minutes! See, that’s one of the reason why I always stay on Main St. I know everything about it.
PETE: No, I didn’t know that. But now, I understand why you haven’t heard about this new Green bottle coffee place, since it’s on Market.
JOHN: Whatever, had they been doing serious business, they would have opened their store on Main St. Like every other serious coffee place in this city.
PETE: Hmmm, well, it’s a whole different concept, so it kinda makes sense for them to be on Market St, they can accommodate much more customers there, they have room to grow. So I guess you didn’t know that at this coffee place, the first small coffee is free and if you want a bigger one, you just pay for the difference in quantity between the small and the one you picked. Which means that, if you only drink one small cup of coffee every day, you don’t pay a cent. It’s free.
JOHN: Free?! Really? Man, that’s awesome. They really should have opened a store on Main St. Gotta find a way to have this free coffee on Main St.
PETE: But you know, Main St isn’t th&ellipsis;
JOHN: (interrupting Pete) Do they deliver? Because, I was just thinking. There’s kind of a parking spot on Main St. It’s not really a parking spot, but if I try hard enough, I’m sure I can park my big SUV there. Yeah, pretty sure I can do it. I could park there and wait for the delivery.
PETE: Hmmm, no they don’t. To be able to offer free coffee, they need to be close to their coffee crops. If you want free coffee, you have to go there.
JOHN: I don’t really feel like going to Market St. every morning. I need to find a way to have this coffee on Main St.
PETE: There’s something I don’t get. You want free coffee, but you still want to drive on Main St, am I right?
JOHN: Yes! I’m surprised they haven’t thought about this issue before opening their store on Market St. They probably have no idea what a real business is anyways.
PETE: Well, they’re the biggest coffee company in the world, so, I think they do. You, and other people, will just need to change some of your old habits to have some free or cheap coffee. That’s all. Plus, since it’s on Market St, there’s no traffic there. You should be able to make it around the same time at work every morning. But it does require you to stop driving on Main St.
JOHN: But I’ve been driving on Main St for 5 years now. I know every single inch of that street. If my car breaks down, I know where to look for help. So why would I want to change this ?
PETE: free coffee, remember?
JOHN: Yes! I want free coffee. I need to find a way to have this free coffee on Main St. There must be a way.
PETE: Alright, but don’t forget to get some sleep. Coming up with a shady plot to have free coffee and to continue driving on Main St is not worth sleepless nights. Just embrace change and drive on Market St. Or give up on free coffee. You realize that you can’t have one’s cake and eat it too, right?
JOHN: (ramblings) there must be a way. Maybe if I park, ride the subway for a couple stops and then rent a bike, I should be able to stay on Main St… (more ramblings)