Do You Need a Straw?
As the waiter passed by the table, my friend said, "Excuse me, Sir; I need a straw please." The waiter responded, "You Americans are so 'needy'." Uncomfortable silence. "Can you explain that please?" The waiter explained that waiting tables was his first job after coming to America, and when someone would say that they "needed" something he felt as if he should run as fast as he could to the back to get it for them because in his country the word need is only used in extreme cases. My friend did eventually get her straw :). This encounter happened probably a decade ago, but it often weighs on my mind still today. Every time I hear someone in line proclaim, "I need a cappuccino and a piece of pumpkin bread", I think to myself, "Really, you need it or do you just desire to have it?" This concept has changed the way we express ourselves in our home - even my 6 year old son will ask me, "Do you need it, ...