coffee shop ruminations

i sat outside the coffee shop, sharing a quick cup of java with my wife before scrambling off to work. a couple of things popped into my head, and they've been fermenting in there since. so here goes.
i'm always amazed at how hard some folks try to be so different they become anonymous within the context of the group they identify themselves with. case in point, the young man that looked like a weird science experiment that went horribly wrong in trying to cross a monkey with a parrot. you've seen those guys, right? the twentysomething, slack jawed, dull eyed "rebel" with the shaved head and parti-colored mohawk? first of all, man is that look outdated. if looking for anonymity, a rainbow hair ridge isn't going to cut it. if looking for attention, try cleaning up, and wear a suit. not only will that get you attention, it might get you a job, with the benefit of taking you off of the cop's radar. or find some other, more original means of standing out. the look was laughable, not laudable.

other habitutes and denizens at the shop look interesting. take the two early 30's ladies that sit inside, and knit. they've been there every time i stop in for a cup on the way to work. i can't tell you what they look like, and certainly couldn't point them out to you on the street, but within the walls of the shop, they have presence. standing in line next to their table is kind of cool. these two are either sisters, or very good, old friends. they have an easy way of talking to each other that denotes familiarity and respect/love. all i've ever heard them talk about as i stood in line was about this pattern, or that technique. for them, their spot in the shop is probably an escape from the daily chores and responsibilities of being mommy. don't know, but i envy their total ease with each other, and the obvious calm they radiate.

then there's the obligatory angry old man/crazy guy. i'm not sure if he's just angry, crazy, or angry because he's crazy. he just sits, sipping his coffee, using his newspaper as a prop to look around, hiding his curiosity behind the sports page. you can tell he's angry just by being near him. he fidgets, mutters, glares at cars driving by, and generally gives off that "don't mess with me or i'll kill you" vibe. he even drinks his coffee angrily. it almost feels as if he is waiting for the world to notice him so he can vent his anger on all of us. after a while, he gets on his bike, and rides away. it has been the same every time i've seen him. for all i know, he could be one of the really interesting people in the universe, but i'm hesitant to approach or even acknowledge his presence, for fear of having my day ruined. maybe i'm not as adventurous as i thought.

the teenies that hang outside at the tables crack me up. i remember how important i felt as a kid, so i don't begrudge these kids their air of youthful superiority. but i wonder what life has in store for them. a couple look like their's will be a hard hard life, filled with visits from the cops to trips to the morgue, identifying friends and/or family. some of these kids are hanging with the hardluck cases because they think it makes them tough, or cool. they'll learn.