Coffee shop

I love the story that JK Rowling wrote her first Harry Potter book in a coffee shop. To me it tells how she was able to fall into flow and block out the rest of the world. I do love that feeling myself. It also makes me think that she needed to get away from home. Homes are very demanding places if you care about things like clean dishes, floors, and porcelain. So nice to be away for a bit.

I remember drinking coffee while sitting on my father’s lap. One of a handful of fond memories having to do with dear old Dad. His coffee was a mixture of 1/3 coffee, 1/3 milk, and 1/3 sugar…in other words, the magic formula that has made Srarbuck a gazillion dollars. But Dad, like everyone else, knew there was no money in selling coffee.

When Starbucks first came to Fort Worth, there was an ad in the Star Telegram for a free cup of coffee…up to $5. Whoa! I thought, who hell would spend five dollars for cup of coffee? When I went to use the coupon, the guy ahead of me spent $7.

So many people spent $5 or more that a fellow wrote an investment book suggesting you could retire on what you spend on your daily macchiato.  I tend to get Starbucks for free by using things like Swagbucks and Shopkicks.

Starbucks is also a place I tend to think of as being part the better times in my life. If I can afford to go Starbucks things usually going well.

Then there are the people. Often times I have gone to Starbucks with coworkers and friends. I’ve had interviews in Starbucks. And now…well, I spent a bit of time in Starbucks waiting for Instacart to tell me they work for me. A couple of the stores where I shop have Starbucks inside them. Most have a Starbucks nearby.

I’m usually a Frappicino man…that caffeinated milkshake dear old Dad would have loved. But I’m trying a few other things. So far I like them all.

I’m blogging, not working on my latest novel, but I do feel a bit like a real writer sitting here.



Published by Jon Herrera

Writer, Photographer, Blogger.