The life you save may be your own Yesterday, I stopped at Starbucks to get an iced latte (it counts as a milk serving, you know) and to perhaps buy that travel cup I'd been coveting. I looked around, but didn't see it, so I just ordered my latte and gave the guy a $5 bill and a penny to pay for my $3.01 drink. He gave me my $2 (because I DO want my $2!) and started chatting me up. Not because he thought I was cute or anything. Please. Like I couldn't see through that. Last I checked there was no turnip truck in the parking lot. He just wanted a tip. I smiled sweetly as I stuffed the bills into my wallet. As I turned toward the door, I noticed the cup on a shelf against the wall. Now why were you hiding over there, cup? I went over and picked one up. The lid on the one in front was all dinged up. So I think I grabbed the one from the back, checked the lid for any scrapes and took it to the counter. I paid, he gave me some bills and some change back. This time, I gave in and plopped something into the tip jar. While sitting at the light waiting to turn left, I glanced at the cup and realized there was a huge crack down the side. I contemplated bringing it back later, but then realized I'd tossed the receipt in to the trash on my way out the door. I backed the car up and pulled back into the parking lot, went in, exchanged it, got back in the car and was again sitting at the light waiting to turn left. And again, I was looking at the cup. I was studying the cup for imperfections, so I didn't realize the light had turned green (as there was no one behind me to get irate and lay on the horn). I let off the clutch, pushed on the gas a little, happened to look left and saw a minivan barreling down the road getting ready to blow through the intersection. Puzzling. Shouldn't that light be red? I leaned a little so I could see that light. Yep. Red. As red as a red jelly bean. As red as a droplet of blood on the new-fallen snow. As red as the Target logo. My heart was pounding, my mind racing. I realized that if I'd actually been paying attention, I probably would have gotten hit by the van. The "what ifs" started. What if I hadn't bought that cup? What if there had been a car behind me? What if I'd pulled out the second my light turned green? The van was in the lane farthest from me. It seems the timing would have been just right for a collision. And on my side. And then I thought about how things can change in an instant. Sure, I complain about things in my life. Who doesn't? But I like my life and I love life in general. So thank you Starbucks travel mug for distracting me enough to quite possibly have saved my life. Maybe I won't even drink from you. Maybe you've earned your place in Jasclo's Hall of Fame. Maybe I'll print this out and stuff it inside the cup and put it somewhere in the attic and someday maybe my great-great-great granddaughter will find it and see that it's not just an old cup stowed away, it's really a piece of her history.