It’s that time of year again. We are all getting restless. The snow is not fun anymore. The potholes last week were the size of a small town. It seems like winter just won’t end. But then there it is, the oasis, the bright light at the end of a long winter: Girl Scout cookie time. And so worth the wait.
But not anymore. There is no more waiting for Girl Scout cookies. Now, Girl Scouts have the cookies in hand before going door to door. Acting on our society’s need for instant gratification, girls have Thin Mints and Samoas at the ready. Eat all your cookies, no need to fret, you can order more and receive them right away!
This idea of instant gratification has kind of stuck with me. Are we so impatient as a society that we cannot wait a few weeks to receive cookies? I think the answer is yes. Living in the now in a world of Twitter, IM and text messages. That is the expectation.
I thought I was above the instant gratification. I don’t need overnight shipping when I shop online, I am not offended if an email is not returned within the hour, I can wait for my Girl Scout cookies. But that was before our dishwasher broke over a weekend. I could NOT believe that the repair person could not come until the next week. I was shocked and a little helpless. Many of us are so used to getting things done immediately or very soon after.
So I think the Girls Scouts are onto something. They grabbed onto this trend and made a savvy business decision. In addition to supporting nearly 45,000 girls in the Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys, they also are helping all of us cope with the end of winter in a tasty and instantaneous way.
P.S. If this blog made you hungry for Thin Mints or any kind of cookie, my daughter Lucy is selling cookies. Send me an email!
