I was eating out today at a fast food restaurant (OK, OK. Ow! Stop twisting my arm! It was Wendy’s) and had just finished lunch. I neatly folded up my newspaper, tidied the table, and decided to refill my drink on my way out the door. I’ll admit that one of the reasons I go to this Wendy’s is they have one those wonderful, magical, any drink you can imagine Coke machines there. If you haven’t seen one yet, in which case when you do you are in for a treat, you can push a button and out pours about any Coca-Cola product you can think of, and about one hundred you didn’t think of. All these wonderful flavors are available to you at the push of a button. A simple, on screen, button, clearly labeled with the delicious flavor of your choosing. It is sheer genius by Coke. Pepsi, I’m looking at you now.

While I was in line, an employee was adjusting the machine. While he was fiddling, my hopes for a Vanilla Barqs, the reason raison d’être I go there, were rising and plummeting with each fiddle.  A few nerve-wracking, heart-stopping, near death minutes later I had made it to the front of line. Thinking it was going to be water, I looked over at a fully working machine. The sun came out, the harps began to play and rainbows filled the air. Well, OK. That was a little bit melodramatic, but needless to say lunch was looking much better.

Anyway. Segue to the end of lunch back at the well-adjusted drink machine. Just as I was about ready to step up for more delicious Vanilla Barqs, a small girl slid in just before me. She stared up at this big red machine, full of wonder and delight. She pushed a button, and flavors appeared. She pushed another and more appeared. Another and another and more and more. Back and forth, and forth and back, flavor after endless yummy flavor, hers for the mere push of a button. The sun came out, the harps began to play and rainbows filled the air as she was reaching Nirvana. And that was not a bit melodramatic at all, and in reality I understated just how amazing her journey of the buttons was.

Time passed. No one is sure how long it had been. Perhaps sixty seconds and perhaps sixty years, but when you find Nirvana time is immaterial. Eventually, the young lady stood on her very tip-toes and with a stretch that defined imagination found, and pushed, the one button of all the flavors in the world that she wanted the very most.

Yeah. Vanilla Barqs.

Then, at last, it was my turn. She was not the only one reaching Nirvana.