a long way

i walked through the thick wood framed door
looking for her familiar face
looking for safety.
the place was warm and quiet,
the sparkle of big silver machines
and small espresso glasses catch my eye.
rich aromas of fruit and chocolate
waft beneath my nose
but still I am unsure.
men with black glasses and
well fit jeans and carefully trimmed (but not too trimmed) beards
scream hipster at me
and I'm waiting for a glance of superiority
to pierce my back.
we quickly find her,
C and I, but there are only 2 chairs-
L is already seated patiently.
as we are looking to settle in,
a young man behind the counter
(one with a not too trimmed beard)
hoists a stool down in front of me,
adjusting the height,
and I am surprised.
I appreciate his thoughtfulness
and quickness in serving me.
C, L, and I make our way to the counter
and I am defensive and alert.
I expect to be treated with condescendence and disdain
because I don't know my way around a coffee bean
and I am unfamiliar with milk to coffee ratios.
(not to mention it is not uncommon for me to be treated this way
in this setting)
I just want something warm
and to be treated with some dignity,
no matter how little I know.
Beard waits on us again
and he looks me in the eye
and I see warmth.
he is friendly and unpretentious
patiently answering my elementary questions
while smiling often.
I recognize them as genuine.
my defenses diffuse
as this kind hipster puts us at ease
and suggests a latte with vanilla?
why sure, sure I will try it,
since you offered it
with a gentle tone
even though I hardly ever drink coffee.
we sat back down
rolling up our sleeves getting
to the task at hand

discussing rashes and weird bumps

marriage, spouses

and how much sex and excercise we were 

participating in.

(you get the picture.)

sharing and edifying
coming before the Father with our little prayers
and being filled with this rich friendship
where God sits and meets with us too.
eventually, it's time to go
and before I head out,
Beard takes the time to engage with me again
and I am blessed that he would step outside himself
and gift me with kindness,
and I tell him so.
Of all the times I have ever been to
[unnamed other local hip coffee shop]
(and I have been in there plenty of times)
never have I been treated this way.
Sure the coffee is on par
but I have never been acknowledged more than just a
hand swift exchange of quarters and dollar bills
and the occasional impatient sigh.
Beard asked me what my name was
and we somehow talked about church
and Jesus super quickly
and I find out Beard has a name,
[it's Justin]
and I leave blessed by
just the simple act of kindness
and the time spent in putting me at ease
and going out of the way
to remove my wariness.
Kindness is one of the most important fruits of the spirit
(in my opinion)
and when someone gifts me with this fruit,
I savor it
because
it sure
goes
a
long
way..


oh, and for further clarification:
Rowsters, over on wealthy was where i was treated with excellent customer service.

also, please don't interpret his kindness as flirtation. I had no makeup on, coke bottle glasses that were taped together askew on my face, and sloppy hair.
maybe he actually felt sorry for me, but either way,
it was genuine kindness and nothing else.
that's all.