Back to the Coffee Shop

Once is not enough

If working from a coffee shop is a lifestyle decision, one time can’t measure its effectiveness. It is going to take some serious commitment and effort to find out if  freeing myself from the home office is a productive move. This week my excuse to leave the house was the cleaning ladies who bustle around the house for a good four hours each time they come making work impossible. I had to get out. There was an excitement with my first experience, a venture into the unknown. It was different the second time. I knew what I was doing. I knew what to expect. I was prepared. My briefcase was filled with things I might need – earphones, battery charger, paper, pens, something to read and, of course, my laptop. I was ready for any contingency.

Try something new

These days you find coffee shops on every block so I decided to try a non-chain shop where I often get a take-out coffee to take home with me. It is a homey place and I thought it might be a better place to work than the chain shop I used last time. I hoped it would be quiet and vacant. No luck! It was full. There was a small table in the back but on the way I saw that the rest of the nook was filled with raucous mothers enjoying a break after dropping their kids at school. I left.

Back to the old place

My sense of adventure satisfied for the day, I passed the other non-chain and returned to the shop where I went last week. Here my choices were more marginal than last week. The only table was next to the coffee machines. I grabbed it, settled in with my coffee and revved up the computer. Today I had serious work to accomplish. There were several draft posts that needed final editing and formatting. I didn’t know how effectively I could work in this environment. This was a test. I dug in.

Looking good

One post done, I looked up amazed that I hadn’t been diverted by the activities of other patrons. In fact, I noticed that one table near the window was now vacant. I moved and started on the second post.

“Hey there, young fella. Take it easy. Don’t get so serious. ”

I looked up to see a man about my age smiling expectantly at me. When you get to be my age, nobody calls you young fellow except in jest and so I was immediately on guard. How foolish did I look straining away with my links and formatting? I smiled back not knowing what to say, my illusions of coolness shattered. I must have muttered something back at him and he continued on to the restroom.

Time to move on

Fortunately I was just wrapping up the last post because the moment was gone. I knew that I didn’t have an ounce of focus left and I was desperate to do something to restore the cool facade that I had hoped to project. I surfed. I checked email. I sipped the last of my coffee. Then I packed up and left straining with every step to project a good image. It’s not easy being cool.