serenity.simplicity.passion.beauty.life

Finding l.u.x.u.r.y in the little things (and smirking at all the r.e.s.t)

Sunday, January 21, 2007

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs are people that have come alive."




There is just something about diner coffee. No matter the combination of half and half and splenda, it is always the best cup of coffee I've ever had, hands down. I don't know what it is, but no other coffee compares...not even Latin American. And you know, I don't even complain about the unusually small mugs the diner coffee is served in; it's about quality, not quantity, right? I actually woke up this morning and opted for the diner over cooking (even though I had plenty of ingredients), just because I knew it would mean 97 cent caramel-colored caffeine bliss. And then one, two or three re-fills. Bliss, I tell you. And a jump start to my Sunday morning.

At this particular diner, there happens to be a young woman who always seems to end up waiting on my table. And I like this young woman. With thick, reddish brown hair, pulled back into a plain, ordinary mid-level ponytail, coupled with funky, black rimmed glasses, I get the feeling she's a little sassy behind those guest-checks and oversized breakfast platters. The familiar tone in which she initially asks, "Something to drink?" is a odd blend of crass and class. She is no-nonsense and very fast at what she does, but still manages to be extremely attentive and thorough. You can tell she's been serving cups 97 cent caramel-colored caffeine bliss for a while.

Yet this morning as I finished off my last bites of apple-cinnamon pancake, and tipped back my last drop of coffee, I couldn't help but be inspired by this hardworking, Brooklyn-esque woman. She wasn't refined, nor elegant. Or beautiful nor breathtaking. And somehow, it was a breath of fresh air. She was real. Genuine. Hard-working. There was just something about her which I liked.

So as I left, I told her to keep the change, which should have totalled about 20 dollars in tip. I really hope that maybe, just maybe, I made her day a little brighter...made her feel appreciated. Made working for minimum wage in that diner on Sunday mornings when she really wanted to sleep in... a little more pleasurable. Because it's people like her, that really make my Sunday morning diner coffee taste as good as it does.

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