When to Quit
The other day, I took a lunch break with a mind for something sweet. I headed to the nearest vending machine, and I was just thrilled to see a delicious-looking package of Skittles practically hanging out of its slot, begging me to take it home with me. In fact, it was so far off the slot I thought I might just be able to take it home with me for free. Gratis. The best kind of Skittle.
So I gave the machine a little kick, and a little nudge, and a little shake; I hopped just a touch to get my hands firmly grasped on the top of the machine; I ever-so-gently rocked back and forth, trying to get just enough of a twitch of of the metal monster that I could have those Skittles on the house.
But to no avail. Defeated, I dutifully reached into my pocket and pulled out the coins I owed Candy Man Inc. for the little morsels of awesome I’d be sure to enjoy in a moment. I dropped them into the slot, watching the little green display: $0.25. $0.50. $0.75. $0.80… and finally $0.85. I punched in 1–5–0, just waiting to hear that little mechanical screw push those sweets towards me, while I read about just how much vitamin C Skittles actually have.
But… nothing. No movement. Zip. Zero. Nada. No Skittles. Let me repeat that: NO SKITTLES. So I tried again. One… Five… Zero. Right? Right. ENTER. Still no Skittles.
What was I going to do? I mean, I wanted to get back to work quickly, I really did, but I had eighty-five cents in the machine already and I wasn’t going to just take them back with nothing to show for it. No Skittles, I mean.
I tried to find another way at them. I tried to open up that flap at the bottom and just kind of reach up to grab the Skittles, but wouldn’t you know they’ve installed a second flap that closes at the top when the bottom one is open? And these things weight about a million pounds, as I figured out earlier, so I wasn’t about to try anything exotic to get at them. No. I was defeated. What a waste.
But as I looked at the “Coin Return” button, it dawned on me. Maybe I couldn’t have those Skittles, but darn if I left with nothing at all. So I surveyed my options, and settled quickly on a close match: Sour Patch Kids. A quick punch of 1–3–2 left me with a handful of sweet-and-sour temptations that I was happy to oblige.
The lesson here was that I was a fool to spend all that time and energy going for something that was too good to be true. Something free; something just out of my reach; something that I suddenly learned I couldn’t get. And I was a worse fool for almost giving up when I couldn’t have exactly what I wanted. I realized it was better for me to be happy with the next best thing than to waste all this time on something I wouldn’t get.
I guess it’s not really quitting after all.
(Photo credit: olga sgr!)
Related posts:
