Another Coffee

Is this a commercial?

Another coffee, and a new day bring new strangers to surround me, becoming part of my life. For the next 30 minutes these people are all that I have in life. I can of course get out my mobile phone and pretend to have friends that are just "not here yet" like many others do, however I prefer to just be in the moment and absorb all that is on offer.

I am not embarrassed to be on my own in a coffee shop. In fact I often prefer it this way. I believe my senses are much more alert when I am alone. I will probably never see most of these people again as long as I live, and maybe even if I do, it wont register that we have shared this experience before.

I remembered to get my frequent sipper card clipped this time, so my next coffee here is free. Damn the girls are cute that work here. I am sure that is no coincidence on the employer's part. It is weird how attractive people can probably make or break a retail environment like this cafe. If the staff here were below attractive for example, drinkers would likely go elsewhere for their little caffeine hit. When you think about it, you rarely see an ugly waitress. Seems the media has a lot to answer for in regards to what we expect from our society.

Today I am surrounded by only a handful of fellow customers. Sitting next to me is a table of two couples, probably 50-something and it appears they have segregated themselves into the time honoured male and female sides of conversation. The two men are chatting to each other and the two females are chatting to one another. Phrases that drift over from them include; "Christmas" , "Poor Cheryl", "Preacher said.." and "Tarpaulin??".

One of the men is shaking the bejesus out of his "sweet'n'low" sachet like he's trying to kill some sort of small rodent. Now he's sipping coffee from his plastic spoon. How decadent. "Church", "salesman", "$5 for Petrol", "Credit Card", "arrears". Odd words drifting from their table that must somehow piece together in the two seperate conversations going on. "Church" - AGAIN!!!!
Not much else really to take in today. I'm sitting at the front of the store by the window, but facing towards the rest of shop and the back wall.

The cute staff girls are chatting. "He gets his license next week", "assignment", and "Idol" are words that drift from their direction. They are mostly out of earshot, so only very loud words or outbursts of laughter carry to where I am sitting. They seem to be having fun whilst it is not so busy in the store.

The damn churchgoers are passing judgement on somebody they all seem to know. "Apparently he's unemployed", "Oh he's probably into crime then". Why do they have such narrow minds? Is it force fed to them by their upbringing, church or the media or a combination of all of these things?

There is an old woman down the back on her own, reading, sipping coffee and eating a cake of some sort. She seems to be enjoying a peaceful moment on her own. I wonder what her life has to offer her, is she married or does she live alone? Is this her way of not feeling trapped inside her own solitary existence by getting out and being amongst others or is she just simply spending a moment away from her life partner?

Every mind in this room has a totally different life story that has led them to this very moment in their life sitting in a small coffee shop enjoying a legal drug that helps us relax. I would love to tune into the old woman's thoughts just for a minute to see what is happening in her world. Not to be nosy, but simply to experience it from a different vantage point just momentarily. I am sure her thoughts are vastly different to mine, however they are just as relevant, just as interesting and probably at times just at dull as my thoughts. Good for her.

The girls are still chatting and laughing with each other. The damn Christians are still talking their crap "Well Paul's a catholic apparently", "blah blah fucking blah".

I wonder if I fit into this scene. So far I have just been an extra in it. A cameo if I will. They don't even realise I have an active part in their little Sunday afternoon scene. They are oblivious to the fact that what they are nonchalantly saying is in fact giving me quite an insight into their existence and the sort of people they are.

A little girl has just walked in and past me with her Dad. She is happy and bouncing along in the way only an innocent child can. She is someone who is trouble free and still relatively untainted by societies demands and expectations. She has the most amazingly beautiful big blue eyes that are literally lighting up the room and causing anyone she looks at to smile back at her. She is maybe 5, but don't quote me, I'm not very good at ages. I have little to no experience when it comes to children.

She walks up to the counter with her Dad and one of the teenage girls starts talking to her. They are too far away for me to hear, but plenty of smiles all round. A happy background scene for today's cafe experience.

My thoughts are suddenly torn away from the little girl and her infectious smile as I hear the phrases "All Christians will be forgiven", and "Non believers will be persecuted" drift across from the table of judging Christians. God damn those narrow minded freaks really have it in for someone. Why are they so narrow minded? Why cant they just let others be who and what they want to be? I really am sick of the way these people are towards others. They are supposed to be compassionate towards others. I should really say something to them.

I turn to a new page in my journal and start to write a note that I wish I was brave enough to actually give to them, but I know that I wont. At least I will get it off my chest if I write it down. The note goes something like this:

"Differences in religious beliefs and not being accepting of others views is what has made this world so fucked in so many ways. Why do you need to be so judgmental and narrow minded towards others just because of their beliefs?

I DO NOT believe in God, but that doesn't make me a bad person. You do believe in God's existence. Good for you. I mean that. If it gives you purpose and makes you a better person towards others then that is great, but not everyone has to believe it. Each person finds his or her own beliefs and it is the right one for them.

Nobody has the right to judge others.

A book, The Book, based on many 2000 year old roughly and poorly translated 'stories' does not give me the answers I need to guide me through life.

Love and compassion can only ever come from the heart, and this is all that matters."

I tear the note from my journal and fold it into quarters and write "for your discussion" on it, as if I were going to give it to the group of judgmental Christians at the table next to me. I close my journal and put it into my backpack, then stand up to leave. I give a glance back down the shop to the girls behind the counter.

As I walk towards the door, I pause at the side of the table where the Christians are sitting, and guess what? I hand my note to one of them and leave without looking back.