“Everybody drinks coffee, so you get to meet people from all walks of life…Just getting to see the breadth of human life in a city like London is definitely one of the aspects I like the most”, said Austen B. about her experiences as a barista at a local coffee house.

Recent experiences have shown us that we might need each other to live positively. The COVID-19 pandemic left most of us feeling particularly isolated, and while alone time is a necessity, we have had the chance to reflect and relearn the value of little things like interacting with other people. Separately, around 3.2 million pets were bought in the UK during this time, so maybe not?

 

I felt a sense of optimism when I first entered the coffee shop where Austen works. The warm lighting and nutty aroma of coffee were particularly inviting. With that mellow background chatter bringing life and the familiar coffee rings imprinted on the wooden tables, each having a story of its own; I believe coffee shops, by their very nature, have an atmosphere fostering honest conversations and warm interactions.  

From the customer with a hangover in desperate need of an espresso (a common occurrence, particularly on Saturday mornings) to childhood friends, catching up over a ‘cuppa’ and reminiscing about the good old days when ‘pea-milk’ didn’t exist.

In the words of Austen, “people live such different lives (so when interacting with them) you get to a tiny slice of their life. In other jobs, you only really interact with a subset of people -whoever is working in that industry, whereas at a coffee shop it’s really just a huge variety of people”.

As again, everyone drinks coffee:)

It is interesting how the simplest things bring us together and we never know where these interactions will or can take us. Whether it be a prospective couple on their first date, children savouring their ice creams, or families simply appreciating togetherness in each other’s presence.

Working at a small business, as Austen does, she feels a particularly special sense of camaraderie with her co-workers and the regulars who come in often. She has experienced several different atmospheres at multiple local stores; in small towns with tight-knit communities and now in the city. At her previous job, in a similar capacity, she had the opportunity to get to know customers very well and even received a going away card before she left. Evidently, local stores do have unique personalities and particularly welcoming environments.

Throughout the day, activity at the shop waxes and wanes- slow morning shifts build into busy afternoons which devolve into relaxed evenings, allowing a glimpse into the many aspects of customer service jobs. Surely energising and gratifying, but sometimes also challenging and tiring.

I discussed this other side of human interactions with Austen, and she attested to the fact that sometimes, depending on how tired you are, engaging with others can be the worst or best part of your job. So perhaps human connection is complicated?

However, I do believe that is it easy to underappreciate what we have in being able to connect with the people around us.

I will allow that there might not be a definite conclusion in sight. In life, we have moments when we need people around us; to talk to or even to simply be around. There are also times when we just want to be alone.

 

Ultimately, just about everyone drinks coffee.