More Than Coffee. Commonality.

To my left, a teenage boy and girl: middle-eastern. I won’t be foolish and even attempt to define their nationality, but I can tell you it’s far from here. Somewhere between Europe and Asia where the people live and work much differently than they do on these emptier streets. Had it not been for their dark skin and deep features, their branded shirts and denim jeans would have kept any trace of lineage to a faint whisper, meant only for those they choose to tell. In front of me, a man and woman: African American. Her head is tightly wrapped in a patterned scarf and he wears a worn baseball cap. His prickly black hair escapes from beneath, with shades of gray welcoming his age. Their bodies move slowly, calmly rather, and effortless smiles give way to content. Behind me, two women: Caucasian. I can’t see their faces, but I can hear their words. Their relationship is unfurled and I can now see an anxious young woman across from her best friend, who happens to be her mother-in-law. There’s a baby, sleeping in a stroller that enters my peripheral vision every few sways. And at this pace, a young mother learns that staying at home with her child is nothing to be ashamed of. Nearby, an Asian woman wears dark sunglasses and chatters dicey words into her Bluetooth. And here we all are in Starbucks, sipping the beverages we swear by with friends we can talk to, agendas we follow, and keyboards we guard. The beauty of New York City shines in these moments, and the routine of corporate America is shadowed in its light. Oh and I almost forgot…to my right there’s a window. A merry-go-round of life in the now, a world moving faster than the coffee pours and a street where diversity is a given. A family of Hasidic Jews makes their way across my pane. A teenage boy drags at the rear with a dim motivation. I arch my lips in a “life goes on” sort of way. He picks a hand from his pocket and offers a wave with barely an elbow’s twist. The suns out today, and I’m suddenly grateful to have grown up here.