After a less than inspiring morning at work manfully (should that be womanfully, personfully?) plugging away at my paper, answering emails and phone calls, and then two hours of class which involved a certain amount of counselling the students through their group task, I thought – hey – why don’t I go and get a coffee in town at my favourite ever coffee shop, Indulge. Never mind that it’s a half hour round trip (including the waiting time for the beverage), it’s worth it.
And what greeted me? (apart from the usual smiling faces, beautiful food in the display cabinet and the enchanting aroma of coffee)….FREE CAKE THAT’S WHAT.
If there’s a better way to pick up an ordinary working day and make it wonderful I’m not sure what it could be. Sure it was a baby tea cake – more like a mini muffin really…but it was light, tasty… and free.
I was so excited to find a little unexpected act of generosity and kindness in the day…they may have thought I was a little nutty.
Coffee was yummy as well.
4 Comments »
Nothing like going slightly mad in a coffee shop (or telling a complete stranger in a lift that you’re pleased your pants aren’t on inside out) to make you release those stereotypes about academics aren’t all without foundation.
hmmm..is that a hypothetical example??
actually now you mention it, while I was standing at the counter expressing my glee at the free cake one of the other regulars who I know by sight (for nod hellos etc) suddenly turned to me and asked me where I worked…when I answered “the university” that seemed to be the end of the conversation!
what can that possibly mean do you think?
Yes . . . hypothetical. Absolutely.
(It had been a very long semester, in my defense.)
But I’ve seen people use that “mad professor” idea to great effect in galvanising classes, especially when the material’s rather esoteric or potentially dull.
I plan to work on that myself.
good plan…sometimes the best way to create some interest in a topic is to be a little surprising in the approach
something to aspire to hey!