Sunday, November 20, 2011

I work in a coffee shop


But I'm not a barista.  During the fall and winter months, when I'm not at Malibu, I can do my work from wherever I have internet and phone access.  Some days I work at home.  Some days I work in my office @ the Bellingham YL office.  Most days I end up in a coffee shop.  There are 2 reasons for this last location, the first being...well...coffee.  The second reason is people.  When I work form home or even from the YL office, I often can go hours or even days without interacting with a single soul.  So to avoid feeling like (or becoming) a recluse, I head to one of the many coffee shops in Bellingham to get things done.

When you sit in a coffee shop for hours on end, you have the privilege of observing many strange and lovely things.  Below are some of my favorite coffee shop observations:
  • A large bearded, flannel-wearing man walks in, grabs a cup of coffee, sits in a leather chair in the corner and proceeds to pull out yarn and knitting needles.  Unexpected.
  • A man walks into a coffee shop (which is nowhere near the bay or any body of water) wearing a fleece, sandals and a full wet suit.  Peculiar but not surprising.
  • A young family leaves the grocery store across the parking lot, arrives at their car with groceries and a large bouquet of balloons.  While loading the car with kids and groceries, the balloons are forgotten, let go of and drift away.  Beautifully tragic.
  • A woman whose motorized wheel chair boasts a sign indicating that a drunk driver caused her injuries, rode off the curb, tipped her chair over and fell to the ground.  Two kind gentlemen rushed to her, righted her chair and helped her back into it.  Caring, kind humanity.
  • A young guy walks in with a single red rose in his hand.  He proceeds to a table where he sits and waits nervously.  Blind date I infer.  He and I both wonder at each woman who walks through the door.  She arrives, spots the rose, offers a hug and sits down. Sweet and awkward.
People watching provides great entertainment and encouragement as I witness people being interesting, unique and caring.  Bellingham is a beautifully unusual city and I love the months that I get to spend here.

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