The Coffee House of the Soul

   I love coffee houses. To me, they are those places that just seem to be brimming with social activity. Not the mallish, uberbusy social activity where everyone is moving about like an angry hive of bees. These are the places where people stop, and take a moment. The coffee house is the place of moments, carved out of the rest of life, stolen from the mundane so that we can unwind and recharge. It is a place where we step back from life.
  The Coffee House of the Soul is much the same way. It is the place inside of ourselves where we collect those things that give us pause from the rest of life, that make us stop, take a moment and really think about things in a deeper, slower manner, without feeling too stressed or too serious about the whole matter.
   There are no problems or worries allowed in the Coffee House of the Soul. These things do not feed the Soul. They do not allow one to just simply sit and be for a moment. The things that dwell in the Coffee House of the Soul are the curious bits of thoughts that make us think just really random things. In the Coffee House of the Soul, we dwell upon the significance of belly button lint. We ponder the wonders of striped socks. We watch in wonder as a plastic bag is caught by a breeze, how a piece of trash has the ability of beautiful and graceful movement. We think about a painting we have seen recently or a poem we read and allow ourselves the moment to really consider how it impacted us emotionally or spiritually. We smile about some random funny thing we overheard at the supermarket and really take the moment to savor the humor.

 
   Our daydreams also hang out here, as resident writers for the chapter of our lives that I like to call "the what-ifs." These aren't the scary what-ifs, like getting hit by a cross town bus or lost in the woods with no Wi-Fi. These are the magical daydreams of far away places and curious lovers. Of finding an old bookstore that has every book you have ever wanted, ever loved. The writers of these day dreams are the ones with ratty backpacks and passports with a billion stamps. They have been everywhere in space and time, and write these day dreams that transport you to anywhere you would ever want to be. They are loved and always drink coffee for free.
   The Coffee House of the Soul is that place within us where we sit with a cup of coffee and allow ourselves to just be in the moment, without any cares or worries. It should be nurtured, cherished, decorated with things that speak to your Soul. Here is where our Soul takes a moment, a breather. Here is where our Soul stops and says, "time out, man. I need a scone and a frap and a moment to just BE."