Get ready for the most inspiring read you’ll come across today, about a small but revolutionary act by an otherwise average citizen: The customer ahead of you at this coffee shop didn’t leave a tip.
Whoa. This person has not only dared to dream of a different world—they are living in it right here and now!
As you watched the woman in front of you tap past the tablet cash register’s suggestion to tip 20% and select “No Tip” instead, leaving a bold statement to the powers that be rather than a monetary token for the barista, you understood what it must have felt like to witness Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of Castle Church. This self-empowered radical, who boldly forewent gratuity for her $6 oat milk cold brew and strode out of the cafe without hesitation or consequence, has bucked the coffee shop norms that you and countless others have obeyed your entire lives. By not leaving a standard $1 tip for her beverage, despite the barista’s service being totally normal, this lady has proved that another way is possible, if only we are courageous enough to enact it!
The way things are does not determine the way they ought to be…
You’ve now found yourself contemplating whether you’ll follow the path carved out by the renegade before you, or whether you’ll leave a 20% tip on your overpriced drip coffee in deference to the social code and because the cashier is right there and you want to come off as nice. To live free or die on your knees? Whatever you decide, all we know for sure is that the woman ahead of you made her choice, and she has not looked back!
