SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS AND LOCAL COFFEE
Hello, weekend. Hello, sleeping in; staying up late; and forgetting about work responsibilities. Hello, socializing, robe, football, and cartoons. Two blissful days of turning off your alarm, enjoying time with friends and family, and maybe even sneaking out on a late night date. (Maybe). Maybe even sneaking to your local coffee shop.
But…SCREECH…Monday comes. The alarm buzzes. The kids are screaming. The lunches weren’t packed. The keys and computer are nowhere to be found, and all the shoes are tangled. So, when you finally get in the car to head to work, you think…”but at least there’s coffee.”
Oh wait. No there’s not. Because all my local coffee shops are closed on Monday! (Ok, ok, I know that not all of them are closed on Monday, but I’m feeling dramatic.)
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS
Small businesses are struggling everywhere, and those owners need a weekend and a break too, but just at the moment that we most need some caffeine, those little closed signs betray us. Closing on those mornings when we need you the most is what leads to my coffee infidelity.
Even though I love you, locally roasted bean grown from an ethically sustained farm paying fair wages, when I can’t have you, you lead me to adulterate. I turn to the K-Cup, the office coffee pot, or worse…the McDonalds drive thru. The horror!!
So, what do I propose? A United Nations summit. Or, maybe just a coordinating of schedules. Or, better yet, for you to go out and drink some local coffee. Build those local businesses so that we in rural America will be able to drive out our driveway with confidence knowing that someone near us is brewing a fresh pot!
But, in all seriousness, I hope that this makes you think of your local business owner, your local barista, your local economy. Stop by their drive thru on your way home. Order a box of coffee to-go for your office. Try that new place that just opened. Smile. Be patient. Wave. Give them a good review online. Drop a pin. Put. Them. On. The. Map.
After all, it is your local business that sponsors your son’s baseball team. Further, it is your local business that contributes to the annual food and toy drive. And, your local business sponsors the pool you love, the free event, and the pet parade. Without our collective support, these businesses and our communities will flounder. But together. But together we can have coffee everyday…I mean…get through this!
A little laugh, encouragement, and wisdom for your day! Bottoms up!
