bill and chris

Just recently, I transferred to a new Starbucks closer to my apartment. I just have to walk the next block over and cross the street and I'm there. I love it. I love walking. I love being outside. I love being next to Radio Shack.

Actually, I don't really care about Radio Shack. I've never even been in.

What I do love though, is the free commute... just me and my legs. Typically music is involved of some sort via my sometimes-working ipod and my headphones from 1994. Other times I just like to listen to the noises of the city.

I've mostly been working early mornings, which is always hard for me to wake up for, but I love getting done for the day by 11am, or 1pm at the latest, so I think its worth the trade off.

Something that I've noticed right away when I've transferred to a new store is how quickly territorial the regulars (customers) get when they see a new face behind the counter. They ask who you are in a way that implies "this is my Starbucks, how come I've never met you before?"

Usually after introducing myself they then inform me that I will be seeing them every day (after all, it is their Starbucks)... and just in case I had any doubt about their regularity, they name drop the rest of the baristas and say "they all know me."

It's times like this that I find it truly hard to keep myself from responding, "oh that's nice... did you want a cookie or a small parade?"

There are other customers who aren't pretentious about their Starbucks status, but you can tell that they just flat out don't like change... including a new barista handing them their coffee... i.e. me. They make comments like "why is this store always getting new people?" or "Where's Danny? you didn't replace him did you? he's always here in the morning!"

They then inform me that Danny doesn't usually charge them for the extra shot or the coffee refill, therefore I shouldn't charge them either.

It's times like this that I find it truly hard to keep myself from responding, "Danny got fired for giving away free drinks because essentially it is stealing from the company, so yes, I am his replacement, and yes, I would like to keep my job... $5.56 is your total."

Danny didn't really get fired, but oh how I would love to say that if one more person asks where he is.

Fortunately, there are customers like Bill and Chris. Bill is a 6 foot something Caucasian man in his fifties and Chris is a (if even) 5 foot African American woman in her none of our business. Bill and Chris have never met. They come in at different times, order different drinks and keep different company. Chris always has someone new with her and usually orders a drink for the two of them. Bill always comes in alone, sits in the cafe while he drinks his coffee and returns for a refill before he leaves.

The first time I met both Bill and Chris was my first day working at the new store. I met Bill first. While I was getting his coffee, he made a comment about how there was a whole new crew, and as tempting as it was to just dismiss him and think "Oh great, another one of these guys!" something about his gentle tone said that he was making that statement out of curiosity and not out of pretentiousness.

I can't even remember what was said after I handed off his drink, but I remember laughing and I remember him saying "I'm Bill." It made me feel very welcome into this familiar yet new setting. Sometimes I am too quick to judge, but we'll save that for another post.

Since then I have noticed that Bill likes to sit in the same big chair every time.

That same day I eventually went on my 10 minute break and I asked Bill if I could sit in the chair next to him. He looked surprised, but delighted. It was as if he couldn't wait to sit and have some conversation with his coffee. He told me about his wife of 37 (I think) years and his kids. We talked about traveling and settling down. He told me what he liked about my generation and I told him what I missed about his. Needless to say, it ended up being longer than a 10 minute break.

When I got back behind the counter my manager jokingly asked "are you harassing my customers?" I laughed out loud... "uhhhhhh... yes... yes I am."

"Good!" he said, and smiled.

About two hours after Bill had gotten his last refill and left the store, I had a very similar encounter with a woman named Chris.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw her smile. She had beautiful white teeth, gorgeous dark skin, purple eye glasses and a little french hat on her head.

I can't remember how it came up, it might have been the fact that I called her "ma'am," and she didn't get offended, but we started talking about being raised in the South. (People up here think you are being rude by calling them old if you call them ma'am or sir, in which case I have to explain to them that I was raised to say ma'am and sir as a sign of respect. I usually opt for "its not you, its me!")

I told her I was from South Carolina and she told me she was from Alabama. I asked where thinking I would know since I used to date someone whose grandparents lived in Mobile. That and the fact that I happen to love Randy Newman, so when I first heard his song "Birmingham" about being the greatest city in "Alabam," I fell in love with the many more cities of Alabama (although whether or not Birmingham is the best one is still debatable).

However, despite my musical education and my fondness of a former boyfriend's grandparents, I had no idea just how many "middle of nowhere" towns there could be in Alabama. I'm pretty sure I could not pronounce them even if I tried. Mainly because I couldn't tell if they were supposed to be enunciated or not.

After we talked we introduced ourselves and I felt a connection with her that I think most "misplaced" or "relocated" Southerners feel when they discover another Southerner bearing the cold winters of the Midwest. I did not know the definition of cold until I moved to Chicago. Though the summers are worth the wait, by the 6th month of winter I am usually convinced that hell is cold.

When Chris left I felt relieved to have met her and Bill both.

I'm sure neither one of them know what their interaction meant to me, which speaks volumes about their character, but it got me thinking...

how often do I talk about the overlooked, yet I myself overlook the very people I am talking about? It's easy for me to talk about being overlooked when I'm the employee, but what about when I'm the customer? I would say I'm nice, but I don't think I would say I go out of my way. I know it's not a requirement, but if I think about how much those simple interactions mean to me as an employee, I wonder how much they would mean to someone else when I'm the customer.

I know there's a Bible verse reference that belongs here, but to be honest, I don't know where to find it right now. Mainly because I just realized I don't know where my Bible is (that's not a good sign).

I don't know where Bill and Chris stand spiritually, maybe I'll find out, maybe I won't, but I do know that I saw Christ in them. Regardless of whether they even know it or not, regardless of whether they even believe it or not, I definitely saw Christ in them.

That's the kind of life I want to live... one that resembles Christ.



I guess I should go look for my Bible.