Starbucks Log: Do you Conga?

They’re playing James Taylor in Starbucks these days. Always good to be reminded that “You’ve Got a Friend.”

Yesterday I bought a hot chocolate for a young man who obviously spent the night outside. He was in Starbucks occupying himself with a glass of water. Beyond the obvious incongruity of looking like you live outside, try sitting in Starbucks without a drink and see if you don’t stick out?

He sipped the hot drink through the topping then retrieved a straw to spoon the whipped cream into his mouth. When he spilled a few drops of chocolate he instinctively bent to lick it off the table top.

This morning I read about a place where everyone will have a home. A place where, we are promised, “there are many dwelling places,” and that, “if it wasn’t so we would not have been told (G-of-John).” A promise kept, regarding housing. How refreshing is that?

The day before that I read Jesus’ comment that we would always have the poor among us. Charge me with heterodoxy but remember who Jesus was talking to when he said this. It was of course the fastidious Judas. The cunning keeper of the books. Is it any wonder with people like Judas keeping accounts that poverty flourishes, that the poor remain? 

dancing-outside-at-night It has started to snow. I watch as headlights round 109th and see a sudden swirl of luminous flakes brought into relief and mirror-ball the entire intersection. It’s early Tuesday morning but Taylor is singing “Steamroller” and I can almost imagine a dance breaking out under the new incandescence of Jasper and 9th.

What say?…one cold snowy December morning we beg or steal all the patio gas heaters, set them up on their poles all along the downtown streets and avenues, then call all the libidinous young men who always have sub-woofers in the trunks of their cars, give them only Taj Mahal CD’s to play, and take a conga-line to work.

(By the way, you can blame the snow on me, I wore sandals today.)

5 Comments

  1. Good morning!

    Do you know who is the artist for this picture?

    It makes me think of the Northern Lights that I miss so much.

    Although, I am not sure whether my reaction is intended by the artist, but this is such a beautiful picture.

  2. what the hell are you doing wearing sandals in November, it ain’t California, you know?

    I like your street party idea though (and I know just where to find a couple of heaters to borrow), and I say we cement ’em down on those downtown streets for the winter, for some public warm spots.

  3. Sorry Rose, I can’t seem to find the artist…it’s one of those, now, royalty free reproductions that I came across.

    Connie, glad you like the idea…and “publc warm spots” is an idea worth investigating.

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