My first (quarter) million

How going viral went from amazing to overwhelming

I had a post go viral on Threads last week. I did not like it.

Here’s the post, in case you do not follow me on socials.

A little story about Starbucks: we were at LAX yesterday, on our way home to YYC. We stopped to get our coffee fix at the very lined-up Starbucks. Loads of people in line, loads of people waiting for their drinks and food. Everyone has their face in their phone; I know because I’m watching everyone (I’m a writer, it’s a job requirement). The hustle behind the counter is organized chaos. A barista grabs a bunch of bags of food and starts calling out. He’s smiling and singing out names.

He’s making me smile. People retrieve their breakfast sandwiches, croissants, and cookies, then retreat back, faces still in phones, to await their beverages. The same young man starts pushing cups onto the collection counter, still smiling, still singing. He calls my name and I throw my hands up in the air and yell “Bingo!” His smile grew even wider. This young man was working hard to make our day a little brighter, but no one noticed. I was the only person to engage, react, and appreciate his effort.

I turned to my husband and asked “why I am the only one who is joyful?” He shrugged and kissed the top of my head. We said goodbye to our dog last week and had every reason to sit in heartbreak. I choose joy…I always choose joy and it made me sad how the dozen or so people at Starbucks chose not to experience this barista. He doesn’t know it, but he’ll probably end up in one of my books one day.

I posted the story around 7am Thursday morning. I popped back onto Threads around 9am and was surprised to see how many people liked, commented, and shared. I had no sooner responded to comments when more came in. The little red dot under the heart was lit again and again and again.

Because I am the kind of person who likes to respond to every (kind) comment, I had my face in my phone for most of the day. The irony is not lost on me. But I was enjoying the stories people were sharing of their own experiences with happy employees, and not just at coffee shops. There are bus drivers out there who greet every single person who climbs the steps, asking how their day is going. There are cashiers at grocery stores who inspire sing-alongs with the customers in line. There was a light rail train operator in Denver, who shared he would play Jingle Bells with his bell as he entered stations, watching the heads pop up and smile. Other baristas chimed in with gratitude, thanking me for seeing their colleague and telling me about times they, too, felt seen.

And then came the trolls, the unfortunate downside of going viral.

I was criticized for being judgmental. I was called “weird” for assuming no one else was paying attention. I was accused of humble bragging, of supporting genocide, of showing my white privilege. And the oddest comment of all was “how lucky you are to have the urge to chose joy”. None of this bothers me. I grew up with a hyper-critical, narcissistic mother who could throw shade better than anyone. I ignored the trolls and watched as other people engaged with them. Free speech is a two-way street.

I went to bed Thursday night, thinking by Friday morning, my 15 minutes of fame would be over.

Nuh-uh.

By the time I woke up, poured a coffee, paid some bills then opened my phone, the post had more than a quarter of a million (!!!) views, 4,000+ likes, hundreds of comments and several re-stacks (shares).

Cue the next round of responding to comments. I know I’m not obliged to, but if someone takes the time to share their thoughts or experiences, I want to take the time to acknowledge that. Going viral is exhausting and overwhelming.

But going viral also does not translate into sales. I gained almost 100 new followers in 24 hours, two new subscribers to this substack (Welcome Christine and Ageisemcgourty!), and *checks Amazon* zero book sales.

I am thrilled enough that my story has gone global and has triggered conversations about kindness, joy, and being present. One person thanked me for the reminder to put down her phone and talk with her husband. I wasn’t trying to make a point about how we are more engaged with our phones than with other humans. I was only trying to share a moment of unexpected joy in my day. The singing barista made me momentarily forget we were flying home to a house without our beloved Moon howling a welcome home.

That’s what joy is: a moment to see the light in someone else and let it spark something wonderful inside you.

xo Dana

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What I’m reading

Nathan Hill has been on my radar for a few years, but I honestly can’t remember why. When his second novel, Wellness, released last year, I was reminded I wanted to read The Nix. I’m about to crack open this 620-page novel about a broken mother-son bond. I’m already in the midst of the 1,000 + page Clash of Kings (book 2 in Game of Thrones), so I’m not entirely confident I’ll be able to devote time to another massive tome. If you see me sharing lighter reading on Instagram, you’ll know this was too much for me.