I can’t wait for a delicious Burger 21 lunch tomorrow. Not just because it’s Burger 21 and I LOVE their hamburgers, milkshakes and sweet potato fries with all of those wild and wonderful sauce options, but because tomorrow is Jackson Day. Burger 21 will donate a percentage of their full day of sales to Jackson Middle School here in Orlando, FL. That money will help this public, financially challenged, Title One School meet some of their educational needs. And all from eating a great burger!
Should I go because I love the food? Yes. Should I go because my daughter attends the IB Magnet Program insulated within Jackson’s overall population? Yes. But why should I really go? Because it serves others. Bottom line.
My upcoming debut novel is called The Vessels, and its core theme is SObS – “Serve Others before Self.” That is the mantra, the mandate and the moral compass. The humans chosen to become Vessels are those who have hit rock bottom, had to be served to climb out, and therefore understand the importance of serving others so they can do the same. The Spirits who return, and use these Vessels to right wrongs and fix ills from their prior lives, do so for the express purpose of serving, loving, forgiving, and encouraging those they left behind: fractured humans at a rock bottom of their own. Not every Spirit is what it seems and not every Vessel survives, but serving is the key.
Isn’t that true for all of us — we need serving in some way every day? At the same time, isn’t that true for absolutely everyone else around us? What if we were all our own little Burger 21’s, and, on any given day, offer at least some small percentage of ourselves — our income, food, gifts, work, love, clothes, kindness, etc. to the colleagues, neighbors, employees, customers, teachers, kids, spouses, maids, clerks, janitors, business owners, etc. who make up our daily lives? Imagine! Many of us already do this, but many more of us do not. It’s easy to be angry when you’ve been hurt. It’s easy to turn away when someone is struggling. It’s easy to covet what others have when you don’t have it. It’s easy to want more of what you do have once you have it. That’s human nature. But putting others first — that’s where the riches lie.
Coca-Cola has a history of making ads that encourage this kind of shared world consciousness. It’s great for global marketing, no doubt, but it also serves to paint a better picture of the world. There are many ads, but this one using a hidden camera summed it up nicely. Enjoy…
And for those of you in Orlando, maybe I’ll see you at Burger 21 tomorrow. Cheers!
