The Morning Cup
Part of welcoming in the new year is the barrage of experts telling you how to lose weight, make more money, and set some #priorities and #goals right now.
One of the things I'm not getting rid of is going out for coffee in the morning. I know I should save that $6 a day, and it will compound to a million dollars by the time I get old. But I'm old now. And I didn't start drinking coffee until 12 years ago, so potentially, I was saving all that money all this time. How's that for a rationalization?
It's not about the money, though.
On one level, it's for a debt I can't repay. When COVID began, I hunkered down hard. As someone already working from home, this wasn't that tough to stretch, but I missed those daily interactions at the bank, the hardware store, Home Depot, etc. I masked up and only went out of the house when it was absolutely necessary. (and gloves and hand sanitizer at the ready)
However, I kept driving to my neighborhood Dutch Bros for a morning cup of coffee. For about a year, those baristas were my only link to the outside world, and seeing those smiling, albeit masked, faces every morning helped tremendously. Pam of course, insists on coffee from somewhere else, but with an electric car, I don’t mind sitting in line – I get the morning’s emails out.
Yet even when it all settled, it's part of my ritual. Not having an office to go back to, I barely drive. That morning cup of coffee and a chat about whatever in the morning usually sets the tone for the day, followed by a quick drive through the wilderness surrounding my home. It puts the day's priorities in line, doing a bit of mental housekeeping in the process. Especially if I can be on the road in time to watch the sun come up.
And being in the media, with many people of my age clamoring to know what Gen Z is all about, they've not only become friends but also my informal focus group. I enjoy our daily chats about music, politics, the weather, the future, whatever. But that's the subject of another article.
But I'll tell you this: From what I see, this group has a lot more depth than most of the media gives it credit for, and there's a lot of enthusiasm there. I like that.
I’ve come to really appreciate my communities too-those people who are always ready with a smile, ask how you are, and listen, but remain somewhat unentangled and simple. There’s joy in those interactions for sure. It’s worth whatever the coffee costs.
Agreed. In the 23 years I've lived here, I've watched the people at Home Depot grow up, and some of them retire. Same with my bank, who's always awesome, because I stop by every week instead of just doing everything online. I think those personal relationships really matter.