A retired barista in Portland told me my coffee order was a cry for help

I've been getting the same vanilla oat latte with an extra shot for like 6 years. Last Tuesday I'm waiting at this little spot on Division Street and the older guy at the counter, clearly not a customer, just looks at me and goes "You know that drink is about 450 calories, right?" I laughed it off but he kept talking. Said he spent 30 years pulling shots and watched people order the same thing every day while their lives stayed stuck. He wasn't mean about it, just honest. Told me to try a plain drip for a week and see what comes up. I did. Three days in I realized I wasn't actually craving the sugar, I was using the routine to avoid deciding anything else in my mornings. Weird stuff. Has anyone else had a coffee shop stranger say something that actually landed?

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1 Comment

amy97421d ago

Plain drip is just a different kind of ritual, one that says "I've given up on treating myself" and honestly that sounds worse to me. Maybe that barista was projecting his own regrets onto your perfectly harmless morning coffee.