Coffee Date | Summer 2017
If you and I had coffee...
We'd meet up at our regular little spot in town where there is never a long line at the counter and the atmosphere is cozy chic. We'd order our drinks off the hand-lettered chalkboard menu - I'd get a rooibos tea with a dash of cinnamon added to it - and we'd grab a few of the club chairs near the modern floor-to-ceiling front windows. I'd comment about how the natural lighting is perfect for an Instagram shot and we'd both playfully reach for our phones.
If you and I had coffee...
I'd tell you that lately, I've been a little jaded when it comes to Instagram and that I'm lucky if I share a post more than once or twice a month. I am a photo person, so of all the social media sites, it should be my favorite, but I am really annoyed with the curation and perfection that still goes on even though everyone talks about how "authentic" their content is. Instagram has become the fastest growing social media site to date and I feel this obsession with rapid growth is carrying over into user's feeds.
If you have to pay or trick people in order to gain followers (i.e. the follow/unfollow game) then it's not really all that social, is it? So many people I follow are creating second and third accounts so they can share various content (books, beauty, real-life) and I can't help but wonder why someone would want to add the burden of another account to manage. These sites were made for us to share our lives on - the good and bad, the messy and pretty - so why not say screw the curation and need to hit 10k followers and just be social again?
If you and I had coffee...
I'd end my social media rant and ask if you've read any good books lately. I'd tell you that I just finished Us by David Nicholls. It's about a man, whose wife informs him one night that she thinks it's time they separate. He is caught off guard at this news but is encouraged when she agrees to continue with their scheduled family vacation through Europe, during which he plans to try to win her heart back. This book was so well-written and it had me laughing one moment and crying the next. Plus, there are so many quotable lines that will make you stop, put the book down, and think about what you've just read. For example, "'I love you' is an interesting phrase, in that, apparently small alterations - taking away the 'I', adding a word like 'lots' or 'loads' - render it meaningless." (insert thinking emoji)
If you and I had coffee...
I'd ask you if you've seen the new Wonder Woman movie yet and if so, what you thought of it. I'd tell you that I've been dying to see it but I'm usually a wait-until-it-comes-out-on-DVD type of movie watcher. I might have to make an exception for this one though. I'd also ask you what your favorite movie snacks are and if you buy them from the concession stand or sneak them in with you (I won't rat you out. Promise!) I'm a Twizzler or Swedish Fish fan, BUT... and this is a big but. I have to remove them from the package before the movie starts. I can not stand the crackly wrappers when I'm trying to watch a movie. This might be one of the reasons I don't like movie theaters...
If you and I had coffee...
I'd ask for your advice on how to balance a love for books and music and film and podcasts. My life revolves around books and music, so I'm always reading and listening to Spotify at all hours of the day, but I also have so many movies I want to see and I am ashamed to tell you how many podcasts I have waiting in queue. On top of that, I have a huge playlist of YouTube vlogs from some of my favorite people and I need to get through those too. The struggle is so real, guys, and now I'm wondering how we ever survived without all this electronic instant gratification back in the day. Sigh...
If you and I had coffee...
I'd tell you that this candle has been my everything. It's soothing yet energizing and I find myself lighting it as often as I can. It's been perfect in the evenings when I do my unwind yoga flow. While we're on the topic of yoga, have you met Adriene? She's the queen of yoga on YouTube and she has a practice for any ailment, including a lot of calming routines for anxiety or an overstressed mind. I'd tell you how very grateful I am for Adriene and how much self-love I've learned just from sitting through some of her videos.
If you and I had coffee...
I'd ask if you were excited about the U.S. solar eclipse next week. I'd tell you that I have friends who are planning on traveling across the country to watch and photograph it and I'd admit that I'm not really feeling all the hype. I love anything about the solar system, mind you, but I much prefer to stare at the night sky with all the stars and planets and satellites twinkling back at me. While looking toward the sun is harsh and sometimes painful, the darkness of the night sky envelops you with wonder and makes you realize just how small you are in comparison to this great big universe.
If you and I had coffee...
We'd finish the contents of our mugs and reluctantly ease out of the comfort of our chairs. I'd give you a great big hug and promise to call and schedule our next date soon. By then, school will be in session and autumn will be in full swing!
