About 6 months ago [shortly after hiring a coffee house manager] I took a break from barista shifts at our coffee house. Life was busy, and we seemed to have enough help. Back when we launched the coffee house [in October 2005] I was the manager and worked 2 or 3 shifts a week for several months.

It got to be too much with everything else that was happening in my life. I really needed a break.

Last week I started volunteering again on Monday afternoons. Today was quite busy at the coffee house. I am tired now. And I realize that I am not as good at serving customers as I once was [although there are a lot of new menu items to prepare since I worked a shift last]. But I am inspired too. I love meeting new people and serving them. I also love seeing familiar faces.

There are many, many people who frequent the coffee house on a regular basis. Interesting people. They seem to love it here. They feel at home.

I had a conversation with someone who used to come to the church community worship gatherings, but hasn't been to one in a while. She said she didn't feel like she needed to go anymore. She's here pretty much every day of the week. This is church I guess... without all the... er, ah... formality.

As I sit here in the coffee house now and type this [using our free WiFi... very nice] I am sipping a delicious fair trade cafe mocha and looking at probably twenty people. Some are playing board games, some are chatting, some are reading, some are surfing the web. But all are here... in a safe space... a third place... a hang-out... a church... together. And it's a nice feeling.

Being a barista rocks. You should give it a try.

Labels: community, justice, the freeway, writing