a map in my own mind

I’m learning to be a Barista! My sister has a very cool, very friendly coffee shop in Adamstown, Pennsylvania. The Stoudtburg Village Coffee Shop is only about two years old and it’s growing day by day. Carol is taking her daughter from school in Georgia to school in Colorado. It seemed a shame to close up for two weeks in the middle of summer. So I figured, I could help out here.

I’ve helped out on busy weekends but mostly making sandwiches and keeping up with brewing the coffee. But now, I’ll be on my own for almost two weeks!

What I am hoping is that working in someone else’s business, doing things the way they think it should be done is going to teach me some things about what I think it the right way.

I really am a little nervous about it all. Will I make the crème just right on the espressos? Will I remember my glasses so that I can read all the posted notes that explain exactly what goes into a BrainFreeze? Will I push the right buttons on the cash register?

But more important than that,

I want to practice being separate from my own worry about that.

I want to practice being separate from my mother’s worry that it’s a long drive across the country and maybe my sister shouldn’t have gone.

I want to practice being separate from my worry that my sister might be right and maybe I will screw it all up and crash her business into total ruin in a mere 12 days.

And I want to focus on what needs to be done.

The shop needs to stay open – to break stride of operating hours now would be a mistake.
People need to get what they order and it has to be a pleasant experience for them.

What needs to be done… is really nothing about me or my worries. But it’s all about what is NOT me. It feels like a much calmer place.

And while I am sure “barista” is not a calm place, I am looking forward to the idea of working at something I’m not used to. Besides, my sister is a barista, my daughter has been a barista.. .. before she was a barrister.. ok.. no, not really.. but a paralegal… anyway. Now I’ll get my chance.

If you’re in the neighborhood, stop in. I promise we’ll have a good time.. And you’ll have a great cup of coffee!

My letter to the Baltimore Sun appeared in the Letters column this morning. (July 5, 2005)
The bit I replied to appeared on June 30. I do mean bit as it was just the last two paragraphs of the article “Laws on parkland, bullying go into effect: Sale of state forests harder; schools to track harassment” by Tom Stuckey

Here’s what I was reacting to:

The anti-bullying law requires schools to maintain records on harassment and intimidation of students by other students on grounds such as race, religion, gender and sexual orientation.

Some conservative lobbying groups opposed the bill, arguing that it would result in schools telling students that it is OK to be a homosexual.

You have to scroll down on the page to see my letter (I’ll include it here)

Schools must quash all forms of bullying
It’s great news that Maryland laws on school bullying went into effect Friday (”Laws on parkland, bullying go into effect,” June 30).
But it’s unfortunate that Maryland’s law seems to be concerned, according to The Sun, only if the “harassment and intimidation of students by other students” is “on grounds such as race, religion, gender and sexual orientation.”
What if your ears stick out, or you’re too tall, or your mother left you in a basket at the church? Are those acceptable reasons for bullying?
Bullying must not be considered a normal plight of childhood - or any other part of life.
Kerch McConlogue
Baltimore

I wonder why they left off my final line: I hope the schools will pay attention not only to the victims but also to the bullies who surrounds themselves with others who encourage his (or her) aggressive behavior. It’s not a good life model.