Confession: I like to exercise outdoors, but only when the weather cooperates. I am a temperate climate outdoor person, which means moderation – 50s through the very low 80s – low humidity, sun or partly cloudy, and minimal wind and precipitation. Cold, wet weather and I remain indoors.
My husband has physical therapy two or three times a week due to recent surgery and cannot drive, so I chauffeur him. While he gets tortured by a well-meaning therapist, I could spend the time taking a no-nonsense walk around the neighborhood, but don’t. Instead I slump into a comfy upholstered chair at a local, non-chain coffee shop and unwind for an hour. The one-story, stand-alone shop sits on a corner of a residential neighborhood. Many patrons know each other and relish the community camaraderie.
I push the door open and enter an inviting, low-noise environment. Early mornings, 8:00 am to 9:00 am, the place is sparsely populated, with plenty of unoccupied armchairs and small sofas to settle in. I reserve one near a window by throwing my coat down, then walk over to the cashier to place my order. Always a beverage, usually an iced coffee – even on the coldest days – and sometimes breakfast. The café prepares delicious sandwiches on a choice of bread: boring white bread, whole or multigrain, Kaiser roll, bagel, or croissant. Their croissant sandwiches are the best.
A steady stream of men and women enters the shop. Dressed in office attire or uniforms, they order coffee and occasionally a breakfast sandwich, grab their orders and exit, rushing off to work.
Another group of serious-looking folks arrive with computers, settle into metal chairs, plunk their computer on a table, order food, then stare at their laptop screen. Maybe working, reading emails and the news, or possibly completing Wordle and other daily puzzles, they tune out the chatter and bustle around them.
Younger and more casually attired customers soon replace the workers, a majority women pushing strollers. Moms greet friends while offering their kids toys and bottles to keep them quiet. Groups settle into chairs and sofas. Baby bottles, coffee cups, breakfast sandwiches, cookies, books, and crayons are spread across a coffee table.
Another set of folks like me – seniors – begin to appear by 10:00 am. Casually dressed and not in a hurry, folks sip coffee, munch pastries, and gossip with friends about their kids and grandkids, the trip just returned from or the one they are planning, the latest political newsflash, a recently binge-watched TV show, and community events. The gatherings remind me of my Dad’s long-ago weekly get-together at a bagel shop, the ROMEOs – retired old men eating out.
An exercise trail across the street from the café draws customers into the shop throughout the morning. Walkers, runners, bikers, dog walkers (well-behaved dogs welcomed) – hardier than I – filter in for drinks and a snack. Neighbors greet each other, stop for a few minutes to chat, then move on. This stream dwindles to a trickle on bad weather days.
By 11:00 am the café empties as morning patrons filter out. A lunch crowd replaces them. The take-out gang returns. More seniors fill tables. A different set of parents, grandparents, and babysitters show up, toddlers and young children in tow. Kids gravitate to the ice cream counter stocked with scrumptious, creamy ice cream and unusual flavors. A favorite treat, cold weather does not deter kids of all ages from eating ice cream!
I pass the time catching up on emails and the news, completing puzzles, and reading a printed book – my preference over an electronic device. Occasionally a friend meets me and we catch up, but only after 9:00 am. I cannot convince anyone to meet me earlier. I get it. I am retired, and even when awake early in the morning, I dawdle. But I relish my alone time at the café. Surrounded by the warmth of the shop and the people shuttling in and out, I don’t feel lonely. I observe folks around me enjoying their day, and at times converse with folks at the next table.
An hour after arriving I reluctantly pack up my things, grab my large cup of iced coffee, and head out the door to return to my somewhat more hectic routine.
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