“Free Tea”
I came across something this past weekend that I just had to share:
To me, this image represents the pinnacle of humanity.
Let me explain.
I came upon this while doing some work for a medical startup I’ve been involved with for a few years (shameless plug here). The image is of the inside of a door attached to what I can only describe as an old-school hippie van. Furnished like a cozy cabin, the van had a solar panel array mounted on the roof — a unique mix of rustic and modern. It had shown up at The Goat Farm, a compound in Atlanta which caters to a community of startups, artists, artisans, and small business owners. True to its namesake, some of the residents are in fact farm animals.
My colleague and I had taken a break from working to grab some caffeine at the free cafe on the premises when we came across this oddity. What struck me as weird was that it was left unattended. Hanging on the door was a large sign proclaiming “FREE TEA”. Beneath the sign was a box bearing a tattered piece of paper that read “Gift and Take — anyone can put in & anyone can take out”.
Beside the paper sign was a well-worn coin dispenser and beneath it several drawers bearing various labels:
- Large gifts
- Share card
- Small gifts
- Tinctures, salves, teas, and more
- $ & ¢
You’ve probably seen those “Take a penny, leave a penny” coin dishes near cash registers at gas stations and small businesses. While their main function is to help those short on change complete cash purchases, they also have the added benefit of providing a feeling of generosity to the person leaving behind their spare change. This van, however, took that idea to another level.
Being ever curious, my hand went directly for the nearest drawer. When I slid open the drawer labeled “$ & ¢”, I could not believe the number of bills that were staring back at me. I immediately felt a sensation of guilt, as if I had just been caught red-handed rifling through someone else’s belongings. I quickly shut the drawer, but after a split second of contemplation realized how silly it was to react in such a manner. The whole idea was that anything in the drawers was free to take, with the expectation that the individuals doing so have the best of intentions.
This is what I meant when I said that to me, this represents the pinnacle of humanity.
The fact that the owner was nowhere to be seen and yet the box was overflowing with money and goods spoke volumes about the values that this community shared. There was so much trust and goodwill present here that there was not the slightest concern of theft. The owner’s wife (whom I met shortly afterwards) explained to me that her husband had spent many years traveling the country, attending local events and offering free tea to anyone who desired a warm drink and friendly conversation. Their current stop was Atlanta and The Goat Farm. It was apparent that within this community they saw kindred spirits and wanted to share in their generosity.
I like to think that this simple endeavor serves as a testament to our better natures. When a community builds a culture based on respect and trust, what results are magical little initiatives like this — people practicing acts of altruism that ultimately further the values upon which the community is built.
Imagine what it would be like if more communities and organizations were like this. Imagine if companies and the employees within it upheld these sorts of values in their everyday work. This is the sort of future that I believe we are approaching as more and more companies and organizations recognize the value of humanizing our work environments. I believe we are approaching the end of a pendulum swing — one where we find ourselves more socially disconnected than ever — and will begin heading in the opposite direction, with a focus on building communities that invite us to build more meaningful connections with others.
I welcome this future with open arms and hope to be one of the catalysts that helps bring it about. With some effort, it may just arrive sooner than expected.
In the meantime, I say we all share in some tea (coffee, too).
