Comments on: How Starbucks Saved My Life

Sunday Morning: A Riches-To-Rags Story Takes A Fortuitous Turn At A Coffee Shop

[sukanyamol]

The quality of life is determined by the joy which you experience and by the love that you sow and reap, not by the number of digits in your salary. This indeed is the highest truth. Humans have a destiny which is way greater than accumulating material things. Many could benifit by honest reflection as to whether their busy lives and posessions are truly contributing to their joy and happiness.

[markedoc]

I thought it was a good story, albeit a little heavy on the Starbucks theme. I can relate to some of what he is saying in terms of career - many of us get to a crossroads at around 50 years old where we are no longer employed in our "career" job because of downsizing or layoffs, and are told we are over qualified for every new job we look at. Time to start the 2nd career.

[lahnaherbert]

It seems that there is more to this story. Was this gentleman bored with his successes and entertained thoughts of a life unencumbered with riches and its expecations? That he is able to refocus his values and reshape his life is a gift

[achtung-]

What a sanitized story of a "humbling experience." Aw, poor baby was dressing up with a tie when he had no fancy job, aw, ashamed to wear the Starbucks uniform, aw....he was hardly "down and out" and I''m sure was living quite well on investments and could have been selling some of his Tiffany toys to get extra money. There are MILLIONS of stories of DECENT people who are HEROS in that they ARE disabled, they ARE down on their luck in a real way, and yet they get up, they do something real, not serve arrogant spoiled brat rich people overpriced stupid coffee. He''s still quite part of it all, no real epiphany for that phony -- he''s playing a role already, Tom Hanks doesn''t need to play it also -- he''s playing Mr. Humble Guy Who Is Really Not Humble But is Really A Cool Rich Dude Like You and "serving" Those Who Are Now Impressed with Mike Who Turns Out to Be A Cool Rich Dude Underneath. Bah Humbug. No one learned anything in that story except this guy learned how to get free publicity for his engineered little novel.

[mikewrit]

I enjoyed the story because it is much like my own. The communications industry spat me out at 63 after a solid career including two decades running an editorial page at a mid-sized daily. Now at 67, nine months past a sextuple bypass, I love making deliveries for a florist. I was a lot luckier in my family life than was Gill and enjoy the frequent company of my seven grandchildren. Fie on the naysayers who complain that CBS did the story!

[sbbqsauc]

To quote Joseph Campbell: ... get rid of the life we''ve planned, ... to have the life that is waiting for us." My savior from a "career" was the garden center at Walmart. I became anonymous amongst the flowering plants. Mr. Gill you have great courage.

[olovesm]

Wonderful story--not that we want to see anyone go through bad times--but a happy ending is always nice!

[schmeebles]

''Hey, if you ever get a chance, and you feel stuck, leap to a new life.''"

That statement was worth the whole story. I know why
Hanks wants to do it. It isn''t about how he made good
money, wasn''t faithful or lost his way.. or even his brain tumor. Or Starbucks. It is that he saw the light on the street (Starbucks! in this case) and heard the call to service and accepted it in the moment.. "do you want a job?". And then realized "to thine own self be true". I love this. I chose to accept taking my own company from bigger to smaller to keep it going. That concept from "riches to rags" is big. It says so much about our own light, which is always shinning if we choose to see it.

[john1042]

My wife and I always enjoy "Sunday Morning." Thank you for your great job. My wife is going through a downshifting phase of her life right now, so this story is timely. From reading some of the comments on these web pages, I am sorry you have to deal with so many angry people. I notice that angry trend also with our local newspaper. Anyway, keep up the great work!

[lolly58335]

Is it harder to go from riches to rags than from rags to riches? I would think so- overcoming adversity to success (by whatever criteria)takes all your life experience and you never forget the lessons of your previous life. However, if you start at the top and go to the bottom, you wouldn''t necessarily have the survivor skills to cope with your reduced circumstances. Good for Mike Gill, SURVIVOR.

[thelastford]

Don''t know when Mike joined Starbucks from your report, but given the time line,if he had bought the stock in the early nineties and throughout the nineties then he does need Tom Hanks.
Happiness is the true essence no matter what we do in life, keep up the pursuit Mike.

William Ford

[artwo1-2009]

You & Starbucks should be ashamed! This BOZO HAD a 6 figure job, get the pink slip and the goes to work for Starbucks. POOR BABY! What about the workers who HAD low to mid 5 figure job and now can''t find jobs, even at Starbucks. This guys is crying? What did he do with his money? There was NO story here. Shame on you. Get down to the streets and find REAL people.

[jccalhoun]

The coverage of this story really disappointed me. It is sad to see the story of a man who was cheating on his wife made into some sort of hero. He was sleeping around and got caught. What about the child he had with mistress? Is he a part of that child''s life? There are lots of other people in the world who have done things a lot more deserving of national coverage than Michael Gill.

[artwo1-2009]

You & Starbucks should be ashamed! This BOZO HAD a 6 figure job, get the pink slip and the goes to work for Starbucks. POOR BABY! What about the workers who HAD low to mid 5 figure job and now can''t find jobs, even at Starbucks. This guys is crying? What did he do with his money? There was NO story here. Shame on you. Get down to the streets and find REAL people.