I am working this weekend. I'm in another state and have been on the road for this entire month. On the plane ride to get here, I got into a fight with a Fox News watching row mate. It started as a conversation. It ended with him calling me a Libtard, which made me laugh. That made him madder. Which made me laugh more. It’s all dumb and unproductive. But sometimes it feels good to be confrontational. That’s the kind of week it’s been for many of us, I think. I wanted today to start differently.
The work this weekend is with several members of my team, which is way better than doing a Saturday workshop alone. There is a Cafe across from my hotel this morning. It serves coffee in the morning (and breakfast tacos) and beer in the evenings. It is a brewery and I'm sitting at the bar. My hot coffee, served in a diner mug, is on the counter made of reclaimed wood in front of me.
Taylor Swift is playing loudly on the speakers and all four women in here, two baristas and two customers, are either humming or audibly singing along. This is the world I want to live in. This is the way I needed to start my day today.
This is my reminder to seek out the spaces that feel life-affirming, calm, and positive. There is something about the city that I'm in - maybe it's the effect of being a blue dot in a red state. Maybe it's being in a college town that hasn't lost the hope and idealism of youth.
I think when we feel empty and exhausted, we either retreat or we work harder to find our people. We hold space for one another and welcome people to share simple, everyday experiences. I'm consciously doing that - today, tomorrow, and as long as it takes. Sometimes the ordinary feels extraordinary. Today is that for me.
And for anyone who visits Austin, check out Lazarus Brewing Co. for great coffee, amazing food, and if you're lucky, a quiet but awesome Taylor Swift sing-a-long at 8:30am on a working Saturday.
Great post. I have been to TX once, because I had to, and always said the only way I would return would be to Austin. You reaffirmed that. Maybe someday…☺️
Sometimes we forget that it takes some effort to find places that let us escape. But it is always worth it. Great post and I can take this one to heart. Thanks for sharing.