A Working Actor's Lament (Chapter 20)
"The Coffee Fix...and More"
As he pulled into the parking lot of the Starbucks, the one he used to frequent every day (if not every hour) but had changed to the 'new and improved' Starbucks located inside the local Albertson's, the actor began to think about the Baristas he had come to know. At the Alberbuck's, over the past year and a half, he had watched as Nick struggled with college and girls, only to leave for Texas to follow his continuing education with the armed forces. He remembered Janet, the current manager, when she was just a lowly latte girl, and noticed the hardness that comes with taking a position of power over her friends. There was Iliana, Christina and all the others that have come and gone for all their own personal reasons, whether it was for school or boyfriends or rehab or staying one step in front of 'the man'. As he walked up to the front door, with his wife leading the way, he began to wonder who would be left here, a year and a half later.
The sun was shining brightly through the windows facing East. He thought to himself how cool it would be to work in his shades all day. Waiting in the line, 4 people long, he looked around for familiar faces behind the counter. Where was Lisa, the friendly, newly married 20-something that always greeted the actor's family with a smile and a story about her acting career? Jeff was long gone, following his dreams of becoming the next Brad Pitt (or maybe Pauly Shore, he couldn't remember) but he was still missed in the espresso scented air. Yes, there were a lot of new faces, but then Dolly turned around and made eye contact with the past regulars. A big smile came across her face as she greeted the actor and his wife with the standard Starbuck's "So nice to see you again". However, they felt, it came from the heart. They were not merely customers, but these two had become acquaintances of Dolly, just like every other caffeine-addicted Californian who had walked through the door.
As they ordered their regular liquid dreams (one Grande Iced Coffee in a Venti cup with extra ice and no sweetener with room for milk, and a Grande Coffee Frappaccino), Dolly asked if they had heard about Lisa. Well, the actor remembered that his wife was getting postcards inviting her to candle parties and shows Lisa was performing at The Hollywood Fightclub, but that was the last they had heard from her. Dolly had a gleam in her eye, the kind of sparkle where you know gossip is going to spew from her lips. Dolly began to tell the man and woman a tale of Lisa's divorce to her husband and moving to Utah with her 'girlfriend' where she was still working as a barista. As she informed them of Lisa's last trials over the past year and a half, the smile on the actor's face began to fade. Who were these people who got hired at the coffee shop and why did he care so much about their lives? When did a Starbucks barista's life choices surpass anyone else in his life: his wife, his friends, his siblings, his parents, his noisy neighbor who lived below them with the screaming child at two in the morning? Did he know more about these people than those close to him?
As he shut the car door, Frap in hand, he turned the key in the ignition and sat there for a moment. His wife gave him a look of confusion, one that asked him if everything was alright. He took a sip of his caffeine as a smile came back across his face. He had figured out the secret formula of Starbucks.
Thank You, Starbucks!!!!!
He thanked them for having the fore sight to hire Tween's and Twenties with lives more confusing and messed up then their customers. He thanked them for knowing how to find the employees that can heave a diatribe of problems and holy-messes where their customers can leave feeling good about themselves and have a place to go to tomorrow for the same sensation. He thanked them for finally hearing him and giving him a COFFEE Frappaccino instead of a CARAMEL Frappaccino.
A joyous tear fell across his cheek, impatient for the sun to come up the next day. What a great life he had.
As he pulled into the parking lot of the Starbucks, the one he used to frequent every day (if not every hour) but had changed to the 'new and improved' Starbucks located inside the local Albertson's, the actor began to think about the Baristas he had come to know. At the Alberbuck's, over the past year and a half, he had watched as Nick struggled with college and girls, only to leave for Texas to follow his continuing education with the armed forces. He remembered Janet, the current manager, when she was just a lowly latte girl, and noticed the hardness that comes with taking a position of power over her friends. There was Iliana, Christina and all the others that have come and gone for all their own personal reasons, whether it was for school or boyfriends or rehab or staying one step in front of 'the man'. As he walked up to the front door, with his wife leading the way, he began to wonder who would be left here, a year and a half later.
The sun was shining brightly through the windows facing East. He thought to himself how cool it would be to work in his shades all day. Waiting in the line, 4 people long, he looked around for familiar faces behind the counter. Where was Lisa, the friendly, newly married 20-something that always greeted the actor's family with a smile and a story about her acting career? Jeff was long gone, following his dreams of becoming the next Brad Pitt (or maybe Pauly Shore, he couldn't remember) but he was still missed in the espresso scented air. Yes, there were a lot of new faces, but then Dolly turned around and made eye contact with the past regulars. A big smile came across her face as she greeted the actor and his wife with the standard Starbuck's "So nice to see you again". However, they felt, it came from the heart. They were not merely customers, but these two had become acquaintances of Dolly, just like every other caffeine-addicted Californian who had walked through the door.
As they ordered their regular liquid dreams (one Grande Iced Coffee in a Venti cup with extra ice and no sweetener with room for milk, and a Grande Coffee Frappaccino), Dolly asked if they had heard about Lisa. Well, the actor remembered that his wife was getting postcards inviting her to candle parties and shows Lisa was performing at The Hollywood Fightclub, but that was the last they had heard from her. Dolly had a gleam in her eye, the kind of sparkle where you know gossip is going to spew from her lips. Dolly began to tell the man and woman a tale of Lisa's divorce to her husband and moving to Utah with her 'girlfriend' where she was still working as a barista. As she informed them of Lisa's last trials over the past year and a half, the smile on the actor's face began to fade. Who were these people who got hired at the coffee shop and why did he care so much about their lives? When did a Starbucks barista's life choices surpass anyone else in his life: his wife, his friends, his siblings, his parents, his noisy neighbor who lived below them with the screaming child at two in the morning? Did he know more about these people than those close to him?
As he shut the car door, Frap in hand, he turned the key in the ignition and sat there for a moment. His wife gave him a look of confusion, one that asked him if everything was alright. He took a sip of his caffeine as a smile came back across his face. He had figured out the secret formula of Starbucks.
Thank You, Starbucks!!!!!
He thanked them for having the fore sight to hire Tween's and Twenties with lives more confusing and messed up then their customers. He thanked them for knowing how to find the employees that can heave a diatribe of problems and holy-messes where their customers can leave feeling good about themselves and have a place to go to tomorrow for the same sensation. He thanked them for finally hearing him and giving him a COFFEE Frappaccino instead of a CARAMEL Frappaccino.
A joyous tear fell across his cheek, impatient for the sun to come up the next day. What a great life he had.
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