A Thank You Note

Yesterday morning, Jan. 10), 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…

Jan. 10, 2026 at Caribou Coffee.

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 with them, 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.  Just a note on a plain sheet of paper.  It will survive me, I would guess.

Thank you.  Have a great day.

Pay it forward.

Thank you from Trasie December 2025

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

A new post, farewell to Andrena.

An update on ICE in Minnesota.  Particularly note first lines of the initial post, and comments there thus far.

Thought starter on Greenland.

I noticed engraved on a glass at a friends home: “Speak your mind even if your voice shakes“.  Mary, our host, who is older than me, is a superb organizer.  At home I looked up the quote, and AI noted that Maggie Kuhn founder of the Grey Panthers is the source.  I haven’t checked it further.  The same AI directed me to a fascinating TedX talk by a young teenager on the topic.  You can watch it here. The torch is passed.  Those who will be most impacted by the future are the ones who must be the ones to make it possible.