Posts Tagged ‘cafes’
a day in amsterdam
to live
This afternoon as I spent time writing at a cafe. Writing for me; writing to work through thoughts hovering below the surface. The sun has now set, and it has been a good time to think, to reflect. The past months have rushed by disappearing almost before they began as my time was filled from waking to sleeping with the motions of research, writing, and trying to live. Now I am almost done and am working to remember what it is like to simply be, to let the mind and body slow to a healthy pace. It is good.
Today I spent time mulling over the future, thinking about my wants, my likes, and my desires. If you were to walk up to me today and ask what I was going to do next, what my goals and aspirations are, I could answer you clearly and concisely. I created goals that society approves of—they hard for many people in the Midwest to understand because they are, in their simple concept, so foreign and different from their daily lives, but they can appreciate them as goals.
One day I even created five and ten year life plans. They are good plans. But, if I am completely honest, I will not be disappointed if I do not walk the road of these plans. Today, as I thought about my wants, my dreams, I realized that they have nothing to do with these goals. Rather, they have everything to living life to its fullest.
I have imagined so many things for my life, so many different avenues that I could walk down; each is beautiful in its own way. What these avenues hold in common is this: I want to live. I want to continue to learn. I want to give of my abilities and knowledge. I want rich friendships and a home to share. These are hard ideas for many people to grasp as there is no seven step plan that will enable me to reach these goals, no five or ten your plan to be created. It means that I do not know what the future will look like What I do know is that it will be rich.
Today I am excited about the future, about the richness of life that this unknown is sure to be.
the way i see it
Starbucks…in theory, I do not support Starbucks. In reality they supply me with my Tazo Awake Tea with steamed milk in it on a regular basis while I am on campus. Someday I will write about my favorite independent coffee shop in town. Until then, one thing I love about Starbucks: the quotes that they place on the side of their (disposable) coffee cups called “The Way I See It.” Some of these quotes are worth keeping, including the one from yesterday’s tea that is still sitting on my desk…
The Way I See It #284
“You can’t lead the people, if you don’t love the people. You can’t save the people, if you don’t serve the people.” –Cornel West, University professor, Princeton University
Tags: cafes