I’ve come to this coffee shop for a year. For some weeks, this is the only place I can spend time with Candyce. She makes coffee, and I type on my laptop. Over the course of this past year, I’ve seen this place transform. I’m in awe of how this uncool place has fostered such a cool community of people.

I mean, this little coffee shop is a part of these people’s lives. It’s almost like a small town grocery store that you see on an old movie. People gladly come in here by themselves, knowing that they’ll run into friends and join them for a drink. It’s great. It’s the kind of coffee shop everyone wants in their neighborhood, but you don’t think would really exist.

I am so proud of Candyce, because she’s helped create this community. She and another barista named Dan work hard to make their Saturday morning shift a good time. They get to know the customer’s names, they joke around, they make people laugh. They make good drinks. Whenever they work, there’s always a line of smiling people. They’ll wait for ten minutes to get a drink.

I just never thought this could happen in a coffee shop that is so dorky. There’s no cool art, no hip music, no hip furniture. Just some chairs, tables, and some coffee-making equipment.

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This afternoon I’m going to meet with my friend Mike who’s going to do my taxes. He’s a good guy, and he has a fun family. It’s always interesting to go over to his house because he always has some new project he’s working on. So far, he’s my first friend to put in one of those beds that fold down out of the wall. I think it’s called a Murphy bed. You always see them on TV, but who really has one of those?