Will Work For Coffee

This morning, I got up early and walked to Starbucks for coffee and breakfast.  On my way there, I watched at least a dozen joggers run past me, near me, around me, and over me.  It occurred to me that I used to be that person.  I was once the guy that got up early, threw on my sneakers, and ran past the walkers and breakfast joints.  Now I'm the guy that gets up early, puts on his casual work shoes, and walks to get a breakfast sandwich.

When I got to Starbucks, I ran into someone that I know.  He's also here for the conference and we struck up a conversation.  We covered all the basics about when we arrived, how our flight was, and where we had spent our companies' money last night.  I didn't spend any, because I had to get sleep so that I could up early for my breakfast outing.  Once we knew as much as we needed to know about each other to maintain acquaintance status, he went to the other side of the store to wait for his company-subsidized latte.  

The guy behind me started talking to me.  Actually, I think that he was talking to himself but I was suddenly responding.  He had no upper teeth and I only understood every third word.  He had clearly been living on the streets for awhile.  The rising cost of a Venti has effected some more than others.  

He was telling me a story about how he waved to some children in a stroller and they and their parents just stared at him without responding.  Then, a garbage truck drove by and they were jumping up and down waving at the truck whose driver did not reciprocate their enthusiasm. The man was disappointed that, despite his friendly efforts, he ranked lower than a garbage truck.  He was laughing about it. So was I, because I began to realize that he was a nice guy with a good sense of humor.  I even think he would enjoy my blog.  Or at least every third word.

After we chatted for a minute or two, it was my turn to order and pay.  I had the bills, but was five cents short.  While digging around my pocket for a nickel, my conference acquaintance walked over and handed me the change and smiled.  I had a twenty in my pocket, but I was grateful for the gesture and the five cents.

I said goodbye to old friends and new and started walking back to my hotel.  I decided to sit down on a bench and eat my sandwich.  It's not often that I can sit outside on a January day and eat my breakfast.  I pulled out my sandwich at which time a nearby flock of pigeons came to see what I had.  What he has, what does he have, a sandwich, a sandwich!  They were all around me now.  Still sitting, I started stomping my feet to scare them away but they only flinched the first few times.  I was annoyed and dropped part of my sandwich.  Now, I was angry and started telling the pigeons to move along.  I wrapped up my sandwich and started walking back to my hotel to eat in private.

When I got back to my hotel room a few minutes ago, it occurred to me that I have met most of the requirements for an eccentric homeless person.  Accepting nickels, hamming it up with other homeless people, yelling at pigeons from a park bench, and watching people run around me and away from me.  I'm only a few steps away from cursing at garbage trucks while waiting for my latte.  Or perhaps I should say I'm...few...from...garbage...waiting...latte.