The road to the coffee shop

I guess I could speak about two roads. One, the actual, physical road... for it is one of my favorites. And the other... the reason why I am working at a coffee shop.

The road I take to get to the coffee shop winds in between New England style houses. There is always someone walking along the road. Or biking. Or running. It passes over water 3 times. A small marina. A few fish and chip joints. The local lobster hot spot. And finally, you get to the bridge that brings you across the river.... into the city.

Ahh.. the bridge. It hums as you cross over. And I love that sound. It's the sound of the way to the little New England city. 

And then, you arrive at the coffee shop. I may be a bit biased when I say it's THE coffee shop of the city. But... in reality... IT IS. For a time, I worked at the Starbucks across the street from that local coffee shop. And the district manager at Starbucks knew that I had worked off and on at that local gem... and she asked me quite frustrated one day, "What is it with that place? What is it about that place that people flock there? It's like a religion!" 

On a side note: I know, I know... you are thinking, " you coffee shop hoe, you". And in a way, I was. For the past 5 years, I have worked on and off at this local coffee shop and in between one of those "on and offs"... I worked at Starbucks. Starbucks, for some of the "locals" is considered the "evil empire". And I understand where they are coming from. We have become a "Starbucks Nation". However, my experience there was a positive one. I had a few friends working there at the time and had learned that Starbucks offers incredible part-time benefits... and GET THIS... $4,000 in aid for those employees who adopt children. Did you catch that? $4,000. Adopters take NOTE. For such a "corporate" company... they do care about individuals, and helping the people who are marginalized. And I'd like to celebrate that. BUT... why am I back at that local gem? I will tell you... 

To be quite frank... I felt so alive there. 

Being a stay-at-home mom has been the toughest thing I've ever done. Don't get me wrong... it's the wind beneath my wings. But that doesn't mean I'm flying high all the time. I wrote about that  here. After a tough day in "mommyhood" I took a drive into the city and walked along the snow-filled streets. And I felt a lighter air beckoning me back. Back to the coffee shop. 2 days a week. And it's just perfect. It's like putting a jet pack on my wings when I find it hard to fly. 

And why? The people. It's filled with that Life Blood I was talking about. People "flock" to that coffee shop because it's filled with life's energy. And it sells the best coffee around. Hand roasted in small batches... right there. The aroma fills the streets. The whistle of the espresso bar is like soothing waves at the beach for some. There is just something about it. The locals meet there at the same time, every day, and get the SAME THING they've been ordering for the past 15 years. The artists, the poets, the teachers, the high schoolers, the rich, the poor, the elderly... and my most favorites... the ones who work behind the counter. They all have stories to tell. And for some reason... at the coffee shop... it's easy to tell your story.

So, I'm back. They took me back. Thank you. And so, I will write about life at the coffee shop. There are always life lessons taught. Always people you meet that make you go, "hmmm". So, look for a little button on the blog coming soon. I hope you'll love it as much as I do.