Meeting Folk at the Cusp of LIfe

So, after visiting Monty Carter and Mosaic Community Fellowship in South Carolina, I decided to take his lead.  I'm at a place now where, without the demands of the church machine, I can get with people and begin to see where they really live and what their lives are really like.  Monty loves coffee and spends time, everyday, at one of the fastest growing religious places in the nation, Starbucks.  Aunchalee and I talked about it and decided it might be a way of networking and being with people I don't currently know.  (Hmmm.  It also may be a way of her having me out of the house to give her some breathing space. . . . Nah!)

So, this week I have given it a try.  I started at Coffee Times on Regency Road.  So, packed with laptop under tow (you have to have a laptop if you wanna look like your gonna hang around and not act as a stalker) I headed out for coffee shop ministry, day one.  The place was packed.  I got some coffee.  Found a seat.  Opened my laptop.  And . . . . hoped nobody noticed me.  Yeah, I'm one of those people who is supposed to really act like I never met a stranger.  But that's not me.  I grew up an only child.  I'm basically shy (ish).

Guess what?  It worked.  I did some chores on my laptop.  Had coffee.  And just looked around to see other people looking around too.

Yesterday, day two.  As I'm writing the blog entry, a fellow comes up and sits in the couch next to me.  He knows me.  I don't know him.  He begins to chat.  He asked me how things were going.  He hadn't heard that I retired.  He was visibly envious.  Then he asked if I had heard from a mutual acquaintance.  I hadn't.  He said he'd been having a hard time since his wife died.  He would really appreciate a call from me.  He needs somebody who might understand.  He's not used to asking for help.  Would I give him a call?  Day two, and already I'm meeting people at the cusp of life.  Of course, I'll be in touch with him this week.

Today is day three.  Don't worry.  I won't make this a running commentary of everyday in coffee land.

I really need to do decaf today though.  With as much coffee as I drank on days one and two, if I kept going at that pace, my cardiologist would require me to begin meeting people at a bar instead of a coffee shop in order to avoid the caffeine.  At this point, I can handle coffee shops.  I'm not sure about bars yet . . . afraid I might run into Jesus there!

See ya around!