Starbucks or People?

I recycle cans/bottles for 2 reasons. 1) to save the world, 2) for starbucks money...both are very important to me. I get made fun of it a lot, but it's just what I do. So the cans and the bottles start to take over the garage after a while. Since we are leaving town, I thought this morning would be a good time to take them in. So I leisurely went to Starbucks ahead of time so I could enjoy my drink in the car on the way to the Recycle Center.

When I pulled up, I was initially bummed because there were 2 other people ahead of me in line. I took a closer look and noticed that they were obviously homeless. The lady had a shopping cart, and the guys bike was resting over in the corner. They were both disheveled. As they were putting their cans in the buckets, I pushed the button that automically opens the trunk of my sleek mini-van. I took a sip of my $3.95 cup of coffee and got out of the car. I must be such a joke to them.

I started to unload all the cans and as I did, my heart was wrestling with emotions...what I wanted to do was get my $10 or so of Starbucks money, but what I needed to do was just give them my recycles. I stood there for a moment completely torn while they were talking about how they got 2 cents more a can if they crushed it at some other place. This is their world. My world? My world is drinking starbucks and going on vacation in 2 hours to stay at a nice hotel in Santa Barbara...what a joke. My stomach literally started to hurt.

When they were done talking, I asked them if they were together. When they said no, I said, "Would you all like to take these and just split them?" Seriously? Their faces lit up like my kids' did on Christmas morning. I can't believe I was thinking of keeping those to myself for a silly cup of coffee. I wished them a Happy New Year and hopped back in the car and drove off...thankful that for once I made the right choice.