Yesterday morning I was at my usual “work” station at “my” Caribou Coffee, and three young girls went to work on the blackboard…they were just being kids, and they were fun to watch.  By the time I decided their work would be a neat photo, two of they were elsewhere, but one came back to finish the task, as she saw it.  And I took a snapshot…

I’ve been an almost every morning patron at this place for 25 years now, usually from about 6-7 a.m….sort of a solitary fixture, by choice, at “my” table near the entrance.

I suppose I could say Caribou is my centering-place each day – a place to see community as it plays out in my own town.  Those entering are mostly on their way to work.  In a way, most of these folks – it can be a busy place – are like me.  Just in transit from one part of normal life to another.

When I first dropped into this place in November of 2000, I had no intention other than to wait for a printing job to be completed at the then-Kinko’s (now FedEx) copy center next door.  The habit part just evolved over time.

It is a place where I see community life as it is, like those three kids.  A place where politeness is the norm, light banter, catching up, sometimes a place where somebody has lost somebody else and needs somebody to just be present, on and on.  Doubtless you can fill in the blanks from your own experience.

25 years is quite a long time to frequent a particular place, especially considering that the normal employees are all young people, some perhaps in their first job.  There is the normal banter as tasks are being accomplished.  The kind of joyful noise one likes to experience.

People holding open a door for someone arriving or departing.  “Good morning”.  Strangers sharing space.

For me, the “tab” is a single cup of coffee, which I rarely finish.  And a $1.00 tip – a real dollar bill.

In a short while I’ll be back there again, as usual.

The girls at the blackboard remind me of another flower (below).  It’s from a brief Thank You note from the manager of the store, a “thanks for your patronage” received somewhere around Christmas time short weeks ago.  Made my day.  It’s shared with the artist’s permission.

Have a great day.

NOTES:

A new post, farewell to Andrena.

An update on ICE in Minnesota.  Particularly note first lines of the revised posts, and comments thus far.