Coffee Shops
"There's something about a cup of coffee that says, 'C'mon,
sit down, stay and talk to your friends a little while.'"
Listen
to this Commentary!
By Maureen Dougherty
A few months ago, my economics teacher asked my class to design
a coffee shop. Supposedly, this would help us learn about resources
and money management. But it made me think about what attracts me,
my friends, and what seems to be the entire teenage population,
to these cramped, dimly-lit, highly caffeinated places.
Maybe it's the atmosphere itself, kinda funky and aloof, the whole
"coffee shop image" left over from the beat generation.
With all the college kids outside smoking and the yuppies inside
making important business deals, a coffee shop exudes coolness and
maturity.
There's something about a cup of coffee that says, "C'mon,
sit down, stay and talk to your friends a little while." Then
the "little while" slips into hours as you sip cooling
coffee you didn't really want, but felt obligated to buy to justify
your existence on the couch for three hours.
I can't start to remember how many secrets I've shared or important
decisions I've made while sitting in a coffee shop. Earlier this
year my friend and I filled out college applications in the coffee
shop across the street from the college I'm going to attend next
fall. Maybe it helped.
A coffee shop is also an ideal place for doing homework. Out of
the 83 problems sets I've solved for AP physics class this year,
I think over two-thirds of them were completed at a coffee shop.
There are fewer distractions.
As much as I love coffee shops, I know they can't replace my own
home. I mean, where else can I get a free cup of coffee at one in
the morning while I work on a radio commentary?
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