Coffee, Vodka, and Choice

It wouldn’t be my 60 days of gratitude if I didn’t include coffee. And vodka. And coffee-flavored vodka. And coffee-flavored rum, while I’m at it. And Starbucks, of course.

You get the idea. I’m grateful for coffee, with and without alcohol, and preferably from Starbucks.

But when I think about it, it’s really gratitude for something much, much larger: choice.

I previously talked about the amazing infrastructure that, among other things, puts groceries in stores, but I failed to talk about the groceries themselves.

When I walk into my local grocery story I’m faced with an overwhelming amount of choice, right down to some incredibly specific products.

Take coffee for example. I can walk into Starbucks and be faced with a dazzling array of drink choices, as well as half a dozen or more different types of beans. Half a dozen different types of coffee, for the asking. (For the record, when I do ask it’s always French Roast. 🙂 ). Walk down the coffee aisle in the grocery store and you can multiply that number by at least another half a dozen if not more. Different brands, different styles, blends, roasts, and more.

And that’s just coffee. Right next to it you’ll probably find a gazillion different teas!

The same is true for just about any corner of the store. Be it locally produced, or imported from overseas, the amount we have to choose from – the amount we take for granted — is absolutely staggering.

I’m grateful for the choices I have available to me, just by walking into a modern grocery store.

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