Valuable Esson

I learned a valueble lesson today. I’ve always missed London, my little community at Bayswater, the coffeeboys at Pret, Chris at Gold Mine, Masala zone thaali galore. I knew my community in Bayswater well, their names and faces, I’d see them everyday and they’d seen mine through it’s good and bad days ( I can be shamelessly out in PJ’s some days). My community, my sense of belonging, was key to London being my heartfelt home. So as usual this hot morning, here in the US, I walk into ‘Wawa’ near the office, punched the touch screen for my order, it generates an arbitrary order number, and I wait to pick it up. The sandwich girl puts out a bag and I go grab it, and she says: wait, that’s not yours. I’m making yours now. I said, how’d you know that? ( She can’t know which customer ordered what because they just prepare what the online system machines tell em to do, all she has is a number )

She says with a smile : You order the same thing everytime.

That’s when I realized, I do have a community here, they do know me and perhaps I had been so busy missing home I’d completely forgot that I have a community that’s embraced me too, right here. I was looking at the door behind me when there’s a whole new world that accepted me, right underneath my nose. I just haven’t been paying attention.

I have been looking outside for what I already have inside. Eh.

The gesture was small, but it meant a great deal to me. So thank you Christa  You opened my eyes. And made my day.