This evening I called up Peacefood Cafe and ordered food to pick up. When the man who answered the phone asked what I wanted, I was ready.
“I’d like the Shanghai style dumplings,” I said, “and the vegetable tempura. Also, a slice of the strawberry cheesecake.”
There was a slight pause. I wondered whether the man had heard my order correctly.
Then he said “Oh, I really like that order!”
I know it sounds completely irrational, but in that moment I felt total triumph. I had managed to impress the guy behind the counter in a NYC restaurant with the perfection of my take-out order.
Nobody ever impresses those guys. But this evening I did.
Sometimes it’s the little things.