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In my town there is a Whataburger. This is a new concept to our area. For most of my life we’ve been exclusively McDonald’s and Burger King. There are DQ’s here and there, but they are like used car lots left over from the 50′s – the only things that have changed are the prices. Hardees never made it out of the 80′s, and Chick-fil-A is a Southern staple. Whataburger is new to us.
I first tasted Whataburger 17 years ago on a trip through Texas. It was a brief encounter, but delicious. Ever since that first, small taste I have longed to eat Whataburger again. And now we have one right here in town.
I hesitated for a long time to enter the new Whataburger. I’d forget we had one and the times I saw it or was reminded, it just wasn’t the right time to stop by. Sometimes I’d suggest we eat there, but my family might not be in the mood. Etc, etc. My biggest fear was that my original encounter with Whataburger was not really as good as I remembered. I was 13 at the time, so most likely I was just excited about something different and new. Over the years my brain probably expanded the actual experience to unrealistic proportions. There would be no use to eat at Whataburger again. I will only be disappointed. Only one thing changed my mind: The Whataburger Guy.
The Whataburger Guy stands at one of the busiest intersections in town, just a block down from Whataburger. He stands there all day with a sign and smile. He has two XL drinks at his feet to conquer the Southern sun. He wears all things Whataburger, and you can tell he loves his job. He waves at every single car that passes by. He cheerfully shouts, “Hello! Good to see you! Thanks for coming!” He even manages to make eye contact with most drivers. And when your eyes lock in with the Whataburger Guy’s eyes, you can’t help but smile. It is a deeply moving experience, and every time I pass I am struck at how friendly, how personable, and how enthusiastic the Whataburger Guys is. Deep down inside I want to be just like the Whataburger Guy. He seems so honest and authentic and his energy is contagious. Sitting at the redlight, watching this guy wave and shout and smile, I feel like there is a little more hope in the world.
It’s enough to make you want to buy a hamburger.
So one day I did. It wasn’t even lunch time. I just wanted to tap into whatever the Whataburger Guy had going for him. I was not prepared for what I would encounter. The service was slow and cold. The servers were rude and cold. The food was overpriced, stale, and cold. Everything inside the Whataburger was the complete opposite of the Whataburger Guy. I didn’t even finish my meal, and I have never returned to the Whataburger.
But I still see the Whataburger Guy. I can’t help but feel sad for him. How can he be so excited about something so awful? Maybe the burgers used to be better and he has been eating them for so long he doesn’t realize how stale they have become. Maybe the other employees are his friends. With each other they have a good time and are warm, but they don’t realize they are cold and exclusive to new customers. Maybe he has become so comfortable with his Whataburger restaurant, that his perspective has become distorted. He does not see how far it has drifted from the original Whataburger.
Or maybe the Whataburger Guy knows that the Whataburger is going downhill, and he is hanging on to some hope that if he sticks with it, that if he can get a few more people in the door, that if he can put on a good show and just get people excited, then maybe…
If he just keeps his mouth shut and smiles enough, maybe things will be better.
Or maybe one day people will stop buying Whataburgers because the product does not match the hype.
Is the truth so hard to face that we’d rather become liars?
Wake up Church. The inside better match the outside or you’re just going to be an idiot on a corner advertising something that doesn’t exist.
