Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

Listen while you read: Tom’s Diner by AnnenMayKantereit, Giant Rooks

Go sit in a coffee shop. Any college student — or college newspaper reader — with a busy schedule would ask what the value is in going to a coffee shop and sitting down without doing something productive. However, the plague in our society is our incessant need to be on the go — accomplishing herculean feats in every nanosecond of the day. 

In reality, sometimes the more productive thing to do is to sit in silence. Our world is full of sensory information, such as smells, tastes and sights. The environment we place ourselves in dictates the contents of our informational input. 

An employee can’t truly experience an island resort if they are simply drinking a margarita at nine in the morning from the confines of their office cubicle. They have to feel the ocean air, hear the birds and THEN drink a margarita. We must find places where we can feel at peace in the bustle and action of our everyday lives. Ergo, the coffee shop.

What about cafes brings people so much joy? They were created for joy. Community, conversation, comfortability — cafes. Every local sit-in coffee shop has some sort of theme and most likely some sort of artwork lining the walls, plants in every corner as well as comfortable seating and lots of windows. They were designed for people to sit down and enjoy what suits their tastes. 

Now, it may be in the innate marketing nature of these cafes that they would want to be the ideal environment to inhabit, but many times it’s much more than that — the people create the culture. So, when stressed, overwhelmed, angry or sad, finding the ideal sensory environment is important. 

And now onto more deep rooted issues than the design nuances of a cafe — the sense of I-need-to-do-ism. I’m sure 99% of readers are already infected by this plague. I would not say I am the role model in creating mindful moments or relaxing since I’ve stayed up until three in the morning studying for midterms, but I do know how to have an insanely productive non-productive cafe experience. 

Here’s what needs to be done: wear comfortable clothing, bring a real book i.e. paper, and set the phone to do-not-disturb for at least 1-3 hours.  Find the nearest cafe that fits the description above, and find a spot in the corner to sit down. For those 1-3 hours, look. See. Perceive. Watch the cars pass the window facing the street. Watch the barista pour espresso and cream into the brown mug. Watch the elderly couple try their scones and the little kid who was given the big responsibility of ordering his own hot chocolate. 

Next is to taste. Taste the sweetness in the mocha, or the savory cream cheese and bagel combo. At this point, become rooted in the present, and the due dates and worries about bills to pay will all start to fall away. 

But, if not quite convinced, try to feel. Feel the warmth emanating from the mocha, the comfortable chair being occupied and the sandy texture of book pages being flipped. 

The last step is simply to be. This is a place and time designated for one to be still and exist without external forces to dissuade. It’s all a part of the grand scheme of simply existing— observing the socio-environmental web that transcribes everyday life into a symphony. If the cup is empty, one must learn to fill it up again. The coffee cup, more specifically.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu