Being.

Today I found myself at Costa Coffee.

I had been planning to go during my lunch break, as my colleague was out and a day in the office alone tends to get lonely…and boring to the point that I cant even be productive, regardless of how much work there is.  Sometimes you just need a change of scenery, you know?

But I had some students drop by right at lunchtime, and by the time they left it was almost time for our office chai guy, Ajay, to come.  I didn’t want to miss that :)

 

I ended up arranging to meet a friend there after work.  She texted at 6 (when we were going to meet) and said she’d be late…which was fine, because it’s been long since I sat alone in a coffee shop.

I ordered my decaf iced vanilla latte with skim milk.  To describe the rush of comfort I felt when I found out I could order my drink decaffeinated and with skim milk would be silly…but the familiarity of it made me really happy.  “Outside the box” options aren’t common in India.  Taking my seat by the window, I took out my notepad.  My mind was reeling with program planning from my office hours, but I had thought to use this time to journal a bit.  As my work battled my soul as to how best use this time, I removed myself, leaned back, and gazed out the window.

This is how I remained for the next hour.  I’m sure the staff thought I was a bit loco, sitting back in the comfy chair, ice melting in my drink, doing…nothing.  It was reminiscent of a moment I had living in New York City; the solace that easily found simply by stepping behind the glass windows, removing myself from the hustle and bustle only to watch the world go on around you (you can read about that day in NYC here).  No orientations were devised, and my life was not resolved.  I’m not sure if I thought.  I’m not sure if I prayed.  But I know that I was. 

And being – just being – was something that I think I need to do more often.  Especially if it includes a decaf iced vanilla latte with skim ;)