BK value meal
McDonald's value meal
Taco Bell value meal
Cost of a call from Seattle to San Francisco.
Payphones like a great number of other things that have been deferred due to their taxing nature offer a great deal of value...Sustenance for the mind. The conversation four phones down, "...yeah, I went to the jail and they told me he had a no visitors list. I don't know. I came all the way from Alaska...guess we'll sleep here and try again tomorrow....probation officer doesn't understand either--he called me. We're gonna talk tomorrow."
Dinner conversation in San Fran, "...after NYU...summer house in Puget Sound...7 poisonous spiders--never going there, and the snakes...the plane was so nice, he didn't want to get off...amazing, you can now walk around the cabin and it's ok...5 million in that portfolio...yes the Caymans...." And the waiter..."opulence"...his word on the wine, very tall and uhm, trying to be mellow but just not his way. A while back I visited friends in Cinci...John had a caniption because the waiter was far too casual--wanting to be a part of the conversation, "waiters should just take your order, fill your glass, intuit your needs and be invisible"...reeks of...my father always instructed, "Genuinely ask about their life and family and you will absolutely get the best service you have ever had." And he was right, and we had extraordinary service multiple times a week.
Simple, easy, drop the pretensions. Whether a buck or $100 appreciate the value...just be...and engage in conversation that lends laughter and peace.