This country is a fascinating place isn’t it? The U.S. has truly been a destination for the people of the world looking for a new start with life and seeking opportunities. In the midst of this migratory growth cultures have clashed, blended and morphed and something new constantly develops. Take barbequing, I’d say that as it is practiced today it is definitely an American development. And being the wise prognosticator that I am, I say that another cultural phenomenon is just around the corner.

Envision that, you are here in Arizona on one of our delightful 112 degree days. You want to barbecue but are out of charcoals. What to do? Simple, all one has to do is gather the food, garnishes, cooking utensils and libations head out to the sidewalk and get to cooking. With the average temperatures of the sidewalks here the difference between cooking over charcoals as compared to cooking will be slight. Households will empty out onto the sidewalks in the evenings and small gatherings will be seen up and down the blocks with families gathering around the lanterns and conversing with neighbors. Dishes will be sent back and forth and recipes exchanged. And the suburban communities will take on a whole new look. Now this phenomenon will only be able to work in locales such as Phoenix, where as in the more northern climates we, as a culture, might have to try something like popsicle making. That might require a bit more thought but surely possible.

I had thought of bringing this forecast to the gang at the Rush Rush but I don’t mean to show off in front of my friends, so I will let this idea develop on its own. Anyhow there are so many more things to discuss and observe over coffee. Like isn’t there more free Internet access in the coffee shops of Northern California. And what’s up with Sophia the Bulgar? She doesn’t dress in black anymore. We almost didn’t recognize her the last time she came to the café.

The Warbler with his par amour, Sasha, made their appearance recently. The announcement was mad that he and Sasha are taking that great leap into being an entrepreneur and plan to open an independent coffee shop. Concern was on all of our faces and I could here “Go” gulp, even though he was in the other room. I always thought that The Warbler was a unique character but this transcended uniqueness. Here was a gentle and kind couple willingly entering the battlefield of the coffee wars where the corporate giants rule the field. Was this madness or just plain insanity that Big Tech and I were hearing on this Sunday morning? No more casual coffee mornings for them. Here come the seven day work weeks with staffing, ordering and serving the public. These two starry-eyed wonders will be seeing more of each other at work than at home. All for a passion to do something of their own and to be independent, they were set to cast their fate to the wind and to work hard at it. This drive to “do their own thing” thing could easily be seen as post hippy or even subversive thinking if it weren’t so much an American dream thing!

So Big Tech and I, being the friends that we are, suppressed our looks of concern. We both knew that what they needed is advice. Being the coffee lovers that we are we knew that we could add to the confusion with little effort. After all between the two of us we surely must have paid for the college education of at least one of So’s children by now. If not the full tuition, we must have paid for at least a trip to the Cayman Islands. So what are you going to do about the lost soul that bring in beverages from elsewhere, was one query. Or groups of six that order only one drink and stay all night? How about when the younger crown treating it as if it were a school cafeteria? How are you going to handle an order for a triple decaf macchiato with 2% soy cream at 113°? How do you train your clientele that it is in their interest to have you succeed so that they will have a place to visit? And the list went on and on and on. Warbler’s eyes starting glazing over so bad that he dropped his sunglasses down over his eyes while Sasha stretched and wished that we would speak in another language. Seeing that our words were taking effect, Big Tech and I brought our American flags and urged them into the fray. Long live the passion. Long live the dream, we exclaimed. Wistfully, I, for one, looked at them with envy for the fun that lies ahead for these two brave souls.

Feeling contented with a job well done, I turned my gaze upon Go and wondered if maybe, just maybe he could benefit from some pearls of unsolicited wisdom. Not wanting to push my luck, I merely ordered a refill of the old blonde and sweet.

Let a smile be your umbrella. A shade umbrella here in Arizona, that is.

Gump’s Brother

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

Winston Churchill

 

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