The coffee shop was busy Wednesday morning. The dreary cold weather may have had something to do with the crowd. Gray skies send folks for coffee or hot chocolate, maybe a hot breakfast or pastry. A combination of bleak weather and bleaker news may push people into depression, or ignorance, or denial. Sometimes it directs them to a warm, friendly place, like a coffee shop furnished with tables and chairs, as well as comfortable upholstered armchairs and coffee tables. Friendly servers and the smell of hot coffee and comfort food seals the deal.
I spend a lot of time in one particular coffee shop. My husband Steve, who no longer drives, has physical therapy nearby. I drop him off and wander into the coffee shop. Sometimes I take my computer. If work beckons, I disregard the noise around me. At times I call a girlfriend the day before and she meets me. We catch up for an hour. If no task dictates my time and no friends materialize, I am happy to simply sit back, enjoy my coffee, and observe the activity around me.
Some of my coffee shop neighbors arrive alone. They read a book or get involved in I have no idea what on their phones or computers. If I look closely, a number of serious-looking individuals who, at first guess I believe are working, actually are deep into puzzles. I know, because I also enjoy spending too much time online solving the day’s Wordle, or Strands, or Octordle…
The comfy chairs and low tables are close enough to each other that a chat with strangers easily develops. Unless individuals are silent or speak very low, it is difficult not to catch a word or two, or more, of conversation.
When I hear a work-related discussion, I tune out and move on, metaphorically. I am too imbedded in my seat to stand up and wander. I relish the time to burrow myself in upholstered comfort and let my eyes wander.
If alone I may check my emails and the latest news headlines.
Full disclosure: I used to be a news nerd. The continuous onslaught of negative, untruthful, and inane stories forced me to limit my news intake. Otherwise I would have become a very gloomy, crochety old soul.
I subscribed to the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post online. I cancelled the WSJ because it got too expensive; every renewal involved a significant price increase. I finally said no more. But I miss the reporting. I will restart eventually with an introductory rate.
I cancelled the Post because I am not a fan of the owner, one of the billionaires responsible for the current downward spiral of our country.
I still get the NY Times online. I prefer a newspaper printed on real paper, but they’re too expensive.
The news seems to be on everyone’s mind nowadays. It wasn’t long ago that most news was of minimal interest to most folks, except sports and celebrity updates. Conversations involving the state of the state, country, or world drew bored expressions and rolled eyes.
How things have changed.
Animated political discussions become toxic. It seems that previously benign topics turn dangerously judgmental. A nonthreatening discussion about starting to landscape your yard in early spring can quickly morph into a heated debate about immigration: do you hire foreigners to cut your lawn, mulch, weed? Are they legal? How do you know? They should all be sent home. Hire neighborhood high school guys to mow your lawn. I’m sure they could use the job and the extra cash.
Personal health issue chats degenerate into rants for or against the government/insurance companies/the unemployed/immigrant health care workers…depending on one’s political leanings.
To avoid listening to or getting involved in tense political discussions, I turn my attention to folks with babies and toddlers. I smile, wave at the little ones, pick up their dropped crayons, ask silly questions: how old is the little one? What is her/his name?
I do NOT ask whether or not the child has been vaccinated.
My goal is to leave the coffee shop rejuvenated and calm. I do not want to exit upset and irritated, asking myself: How could so many folks be so ignorant/uninformed/narrow-minded/bigoted and suckers for conspiracy theories?
And now we are at war.
All because of the arrogance of an idiot.
And the groupies devoted to him.
I need a lot more coffee.
Leave a Reply