A Guitar Riff in the Grocery Store

The first time I saw a Dave’s Killer Bread commercial, I wasn’t thinking “bread.” I was thinking, wow, that’s what it looks like when the unexpected cuts through the same-old, same-old. And, being in this industry for so long, that’s refreshing.

Most of these bread commercials open in a grocery store, which might be the most predictable setting on the planet. Fluorescent lights. A cart with that one wheel that refuses to cooperate. People moving through aisles with the same focused expression: get in, get what you need, get out.

But then the roar of a guitar tears through all the noise.

You pause mid-stride, turn your head, and follow the sound to the most ridiculous thing in the world. The Dave’s Killer Bread guitar-wielding mascot is shredding on the front of the bread bag. The aisle is his stage. It’s a retail therapy concert.

I’ll be honest, my first reaction wasn’t, What is this?

It was more like, Thank you. Thank you for interrupting the trance.

For taking a moment that’s usually pure muscle memory and making it weird, loud, and kind of joyful. For a second, the routine isn’t running and I’m just noticing what’s happening. A break in the script.

Here’s the thing: I actually have dietary restrictions that keep me from eating most breads, so I truly wasn’t thinking about the bread at all. I was thinking about the moment.

In my opinion, most of us don’t need less routine, but maybe we need fewer moments on autopilot.

I think that life doesn’t get more exciting when everything finally “calms down.” It gets more exciting when I’m putting in the effort to show up for the parts normally rushed through by adding a little intention, a little play, and a little surprise.

Sometimes that’s all it takes to turn an ordinary day, or even an ordinary errand, into an extraordinary one.