I didn’t really plan for this post to have a lesson, but as it turns out it does, albeit subtly, and it comes at a time ironically when our country, and even our world, needs some positive reassurance.

I’ve been working remotely or “from home” for four years, although it seems like I just started yesterday. Perhaps the trauma that an office setting inflicts upon a person is not something one can simply shake off in a few short years. I’ve been working from coffee shops for over three years.

Confession

I love that song “Best of You” by the Foo Fighters. It starts, “I’ve got another confession to make”. It’s funny as I delve more deeply into those lyrics because I always think, “Hmm, does the author commonly have to confess things to people?” Anyway, that’s neither here nor there other than the fact that I do have a confession to make. Perhaps this is my first confession ever, and it goes like this: Whenever I first started working from coffee shops I was deathly afraid that if I went to the restroom someone would steal all my stuff while I was gone. That’s it. That’s the confession. I would always ask some unsuspecting stranger to watch my stuff, which begs the question, “How in the world did I not know they were the thief?” I say “the thief” with the assumption that someone in the place was a thief whose sole purpose in life was to follow me to every coffee shop, wait for the perfect moment when I’m in the restroom, and take my life (or at least my stuff). Yes I agree it’s as ridiculous as it sounds and while I’m sure someone’s stuff has been stolen before, perhaps even from a coffee shop while the person was in the restroom, I think I was probably being a bit paranoid.

Fast forward (an expression I love to use in my writings) a few years and while I’m still a bit (i.e. very) paranoid, since that’s just who I am and I have no reason to change that part of me with which I’m comfortable, I can actually go to the restroom without experiencing the utter panic that I’m going to return to an empty table where once rested a beautiful silver laptop, a black mouse, and blue backpack.

Now, if you’re reading this, don’t show up at a coffee shop where I’m working and take my stuff, not even as a joke. That would be mean. How’s that for paranoid? Seriously though, this is probably something that most people never think about, whereas for me it’s been a priority consideration for my daily routine for some time now. As with most things in life there are probably several lessons here. Perhaps it’s, “Don’t treasure material things over other things in life, like people.” Perhaps it’s, “Don’t assume something isn’t a big deal or a struggle for someone else just because it’s not for you.” Finally, the lesson may even be “Give people more credit. There is still good in this world.” I like that one and I think it speaks volumes! I’ll go with that.