Coffee House Empires (Blog Archive)

* This was blog archive day for me. I may do this from time to time. I blogged for years at xanga before coming over here, and there are times I go back and read old entries. I twitter exchange I had today with @HopeNoelle12 reminded me of this old entry.

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Two empires collided this day in a Sacramento coffee shop. It was the empire of the old meeting with that of the new, and it came and went in a matter of moments you may have missed if you had been here.

This aforementioned shop has always contained various characters behind its counter. Each is identified and nearly titled by his or her own various strong characteristics.

“Armpit-hair and Nose Ring Girl”

“Pretentious Man-prees Guy”

“Bushy Beard Guy”

“Looks Like A Guy I Know Girl”

“Roller Derby Girl”

Those are only the workers within. The patrons bring their own setting contribution.

“White Pants And Loafers Guy”

“Really Tall Guy”

“Ass-less Pants Guy”

“Sling” (A super hero in his own right, thus warranting his own one word name)

These are only those this writer can remember in this moment. There once was the most bazaar of all. The bazaar has a way of becoming the majority so that the normal becomes bazaar. This was the fate of Normal Girl who once worked behind the counters of this shop. Normal Girl stuck out among the bazaar only because she was normal. Her normality was as intriguing as it was refreshing among the normally bazaar. Not a hipster! Not an 80’s throwback! Not…nothing! Normal!

Normal girl has not been around these parts for many months. She left unannounced to many, never to return. Like a fast acting vacuum sucked the refreshing normality from the otherwise douche bag infestation, Normal Girl was gone! Forgotten lest in tall tales such as this.

Today, a revisit to the shop reveals something quite wonderful. They say history has a funny way of repeating itself. They say empires come and go, and it has been possible that they may also come again. What have your eyes beheld!? Could it possibly be…… Normal Girl Part 2!?

One can only sit concealed behind his coffee in wonder that the rise of Normal Girl may have come at last. Not the same Normal Girl; it is Normal Girl 2. What planets have aligned to bring this about? What great gods have shown their favor upon the bazaar little coffee shop in Sacramento? No one knows; nor do they need to.

But readers be braced! For this is not the collision originally spoken of.

As one did sit in amazement for nearly 2 hours at the arrival of Normal Girl 2, the door squealed open to usher in a light breeze and then an impending second time when everything seemed to be still and almost eerie. No way is this happening! The breeze was the precursor to the collision. It is Normal Girl….1!

It is the collision of the Normal Girl empires. Overtly familiar with her surroundings, Normal Girl 1 enters with greetings for the bazaar who have always been (today it is Looks Like A Guy I Know Girl). She is familiar with all but one element, but it is much larger than an element. It is a force! It is a cosmic coming of events! It is Normal Girl 2: the new empire of Normal Girl in the wake of the forgotten first empire now revealed once more.

The two empires meet at the counter, and this writer is strangely surprised everyone else can drink coffee, can work on a computer, can read a book, can sit slouched and indifferent on an old dirty couch…can do ANYTHING else but watch and wonder. What will happen? Will there be fallout? What danger awaits?

Turns out not much! Cordial greetings are exchanged, Normal Girl 1 leaves in a matter of moments, and the new empire remains. Normal Girl 2 is here to stay, and the original remains a tale of bygone days.

And NOW Sling arrives having missed it all…some super hero!



* Soundtrack to this event provided by Sigur Ros

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READING: "The Search for God and Guinness" by Stephen Mansfield