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Shake Shack is better than In N Out!  

New York’s location is better than Palo Altos! 

I might be getting older!  

All of those are true and could quite possibly be controversial with some! 

We went to Shake Shack both times we were in New York over the last two years.  There is a very cool kiosk-like location in Washington Square, a short walking distance from the hotel we always stay in.

 

The burgers were very tasty together with the crisp fries and chilled beer we enjoyed as we sat at a patio table inside the park. There were at least 50 such tables with chairs scattered under the trees filled with strings of lights and the overall vibe was super cool

 

Tim and I went to the new Shake Shack that just opened across the bay in a very cute community named Palo Alto.   It has the neighbourhood I wished I lived in and has my dream house – well one of them – on a corner lot!   It probably costs about 10 million dollars, but really its just money!   That I don’t have!

We wanted to try one of the first locations that opened here in the western US at an awesome outdoor mall beside Stanford University.  Yes, that Stanford University where some of the students parents bought their way in…but I’ll save that for another day.   

This location seemed to be staffed by University students and was pretty high tech.  In NYC we ordered from a real person – after we stood in a very long line, here after you lined up you used a tablet to order.  You also left your phone number with the machine so it (?) could text you when your order was ready.  We found a table in the corner of a small patio thankfully undercover since a small rain storm had just passed through.   I stayed at that table with Neeko hovering in the corner – just in case some big tall dark stranger came near and he needed to run away.  (He’s nearly 14, so he gets to not like people if he wants to).   

Tim walked inside the double doors to get our order since he had just received his text from the machine that …the order was ready! With our 2 burgers, fries and beers on a tray he set it down on the table with a frustrated look on his face.  ‘I am never going to come back here’ he said.  Wait…what….but I love Shake Shack!  What happened?  ‘I will only go to a place that hires real people’ he explained.  We both have had that exact conversation as we hold our grocery basket at a Safeway and the only place to pay, other than standing in a long line was at the self serve check out.  Again when we get frustrated with having to punch a whack of numbers while you try to get to speak to a real person on the phone.  We really felt this job and countless other jobs done by modern technology and a machine, should be staffed with REAL people.  

We tried to understand why it bothered us so much as we settled in to eat our burger! The technology bothered us more than it did the younger folk who manage it so well. The fact we could only use the technology to order really bugged us.  We’re frustrated it’s the new way to do so many things and nothing like the good old days. Well that and the fact that we really feel people should be working those ‘jobs’!  Then as we grabbed a sip of the nice cold beer (its not even a cheat day) I wondered why we cared so much!  

Why should I really care about jobs for people I don’t even know!  Tim and I are old and although we don’t plan on dying soon, who knows how many years we’ll be around.  We don’t have kids to leave the world to – but we do have some amazing nieces and nephews, some who have kids!  We care about them!  We really care that they have the best world possible to live in!  We wish that each and every day they are able to breath fresh clean air and grab a glass of pure drinkable water!  We also really want them to have a job that hasn’t been taken over by a machine.  It sure feels like a good way to live and it also feels really good to not be so selfish!   

I don’t want a medal or ribbon for saying I don’t feel like one of those selfish people.  I’m admitting it because I have spent my whole life trying to figure out how or what I might do or say that will affect another person before I do it.  I will never understand why so few people aren’t like that and it seems so many people are getting even more selfish.   Right or wrong, I made my past decisions, to my personal detriment sometimes, because I truly cared how it would affect someone else. 

Diagonally across from us, sitting at her own table was the mother of 3 kids, each deep into their phones. (I’ll call her Mary)  The table beside us was empty until a mother and son (I’ll call her Anita) went to sit down, waiting for their order.  Mary was sitting on the edge of her chair with it pushed back far from the table.  The result was a restricted amount of space for Anita to get into the chair for her table.  Anita didn’t ask Mary to move her chair in but rather squished her body into the chair for her table.  While Anita did this she could have only slightly caused a moment to the chair Mary was sprawled out on.  Mary looked over a bit annoyed, then curious and after a small facial nod recognized she understood what had happened.  After that disruption, she stayed put and didn’t pull in her chair and I found myself sitting there thinking how rude and selfish Mary was.  

Because I am going to be 60 … and with all those years of closely watching people, I can say this…there are a lot of selfish people! It’s what’s wrong with so much of what’s wrong now a days.  People of all ages do not think about anyone else other than themselves.  That’s why they don’t care to put the shopping cart back and leave them abandoned in the parking lot.  They’re done with it, right!  That’s why people don’t hold a door open and never say please or thank you if you do it for them. It’s why Shake Shack doesn’t want to hire a person over a machine. I mean why give people money to buy your product when you can make it for the company!  It’s why Mary didn’t pull in her chair even after Anita got up to get her order and struggled to get out of her chair.  Mary was comfortable and thats all that mattered to her!   I really don’t mean to rant…but it does make me sad and makes me want to change things.  Its one thing to complain and its another to do something.  I try not to be selfish, but maybe I need to do more to help make some change.  I mean…I have time, I’m not 60 yet…what about you?  

 …wisdom of 59!

I have been thinking about doing this for a while and together with this current post, it feels like the right time to do.  For most of my past 59 years, I’ve really wished we all lived in a world where we care more about each other.  More than not, I am an optimist!  I wish we would always be grateful for something someone does for us and thank them.   I want us all to be able to appreciate that no one has to do anything for you so its a better idea to ask them to do it – please!  I hope we become less selfish….share with others!  Good vibes, good things and good emotions.  Something you love! I think we should all find something we love and share it with someone else…as an example of not being selfish and keeping it to yourself.  

I am deeply in love with the new Brandi Carlile album titled; By the Way, I Forgive you.  (click here for one of my favourite songs and turn it really loud if you can )  Every song on this album is powerful, well written and the orchestrations will take you to an amazing place when you put on headphones and turn the volume up as much as you can stand.  I love it to work out with, to suntan in the backyard and I love it to write blogs.  Her voice is kinda folksy and each note is pure and perfect.  I feel so much emotion listening to it and most of it is joy but also energy and comfort.  I would love to share it with one of you.  Tell me if you want to experience a new artist by posting a comment indicating that below.  I will randomly pick one comment in a week from the posting and I will gift you the album via iTunes. I hope you love her music as much as I do as I share with you, just one of the many things I love!  

I would love it if you share a post on social media or here on my blog if you think its a good idea for you as well… you know…to not be selfish! I’m doing my blog until I turn 60 so you have time to do something for someone else that you think should have this ‘whatever’ it is you love.  I know it’s a good feeling you get when you do something special for someone else and I’d really love to hear about it.  

Use  #ShareUr❤ each time!