Author: TabacrossTexas
Tab across Texas is a site dedicated to our mission - Experience / Write / Share - We experience life - all its glory and suffering - mystery and tangible miseries - then attempt to encapsulate the situations in neat little pieces of prose - limited editing and no apologies. Enjoy.
D.S. Savage’s Criticism of Hemingway
Lost Essay- Samuel McCord Crothers’ “Every Man’s Desire”
Starbucks – your third place?
Starbucks, if you are my third place, kill me now –
I can’t recall the exact day, but I missed Live 8, Bob Geldof’s second coming. One summer day in 2005, as the Boomtown Rats “cocked it up by singing I don’t like Mondays, I, a college student, “crafted” lattes, cappuccinos, and those frappuccinos for Starbucks. Never the wiser that some seventeen years later, I would be back in the green apron under the Siren’s watchful gaze.
I, the graduate student, continued through a Bachelor’s and Masters’s degree into positions of responsibility and respect, appreciation and apprehension – until the prospect of professional paramount became too nauseating to pursue – resulting in alcoholism and delusions of reality, sickening positions.
I always said, “If I could be a Barista and make a living…”
One day ground broke on a Starbucks within eyesight of the cell where I made my living.
Ecstatic – as if a call from God or a Siren’s song – I put in my application – quickly returned with a job offer – an offer I should have considered with a bit more caution.
To be back in the environment of third place- Awesome. The peace of an environment which allowed me to be who I am and share the love of coffee and kinship with all who entered – I was back in the green, ready to return to what I remembered before professional life attempted to kill me.
Howard Shultz was returning to his position just as I was returning to mine. We both, presumably, took a reduction in pay to find the spark and connection to people that made us both want to take the time in our day to fuze with those around us, the partners and customers, the fellow Baristas, the smiles, and celebrations.
I only assume that he felt the same reminiscence that I felt. At this point, I can only believe that Howard has found his Starbucks dead while relinquishing the reigns to the new CEO. The loyalty, appreciation, emotion, feel, coffee, mood, and the collection of all that was the third place are gone.
For those Partners who have chosen to strike and speak up, I applaud you – the expectations of those who control you are unrealistic and utterly ridiculous.
However, suppose Starbucks is your definition of a third place. In that case, the police should be called, CPS needs to be notified, and the meaning of love, understanding, and togetherness will have to be reevaluated in the Starbucks dictionary.
Is Moab Edward Abbey’s Land?
Let’s Get Judgemental with Ayn Rand
Joan Didion
Daniel Defoe’s – “The Instability of Human Glory”
Who is the better lyricist, Paul or John
Before there was John and Paul – there was Paul and John and those other guys – laying out those biblical love lyrics.
Yeah, yeah, yeah – I know that John was like, “bigger than Jesus we are.”
I could see Yoda and John, in a bed-in, in that little cave in the Dagobah System – philosophizing – sorry – way off the topic.
John was jealous of Paul – not that Paul, but the Paul that wrote all those letters to those churches.
John might have believed he was more significant than Jesus – but as we see in the writing, John has to be humbled by Paul.
Let’s play a game of who wrote it, Paul or John – ready – you go first.
“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another.”
Sound a bit like John, right – no it’s Paul.
Here’s one – “let us pursue the things making for peace and the things that are upbuilding to one another.”
It sounds like something John and Yoko would have written on a wall of some makeshift art installation – but No – Paul.
“There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male or female, for all of you are one.”
Well, this last piece sounds like something off the Imagine album, but no, it’s New Testament.
“Love is patient and kind” – John could have only wished.
Well, this could go on all day – but I think it proves who is the best lyricist.
And as for that other Paul, the only thing he ever did was Yesterday – hey, finally one by Paul.