Stock Doc: The Pursuit of Happiness

Recognizing Life's Joys

When I was a senior at Muhlenberg college, in Allentown Pa., I would often go to lunch by myself after finishing up my internship at a local hospital. The coffee shop was no frills and many truck drivers came in there and became regulars. I would often sit at the counter reading a newspaper quietly.

One afternoon I had a momentous experience. I didn't see it that way at the time, but in retrospect what I heard and saw has impacted my life and the way that I conduct my coaching.

I was reading my newspaper when a very tall truck driver came into the restaurant and slid up to the counter to sit next to me. He greeted the waitress and she said, "Hey Jim, good to see you again, what will it be today for you? The usual?" He responded: "Nope, today all I really want is a piece of cherry crumb pie!"

Jim's order at the restaurant didn't resonate with me until years later when I was lucky enough as a graduate student in Miami to be relaxing with three close friends on a yacht. One of my friends was wealthy, which afforded me the opportunity to do something like this for the first time. I was a poor grad student and it was a gorgeous, sunny day that we spent listening to great tunes and working on nothing but a great tan.