Coffee Shop Observations

My five year old son and I took a little break at a local coffee shop the other day. It was a beautiful New England fall day with plenty of sun shine and plenty of cold air. While my son was munching his donut, I had a look at the exchange of people, coffee and hallos and was taken in by the friendly atmosphere that existed at this moment. One woman came in and greeted another one who was reading a book like an old friend. It was only afterwards that I realized they actually had seen each other for the first time. The same was true vis-a-vis the staff. In a number of friendly exchanges I realized that these folks definitely enjoyed being there at that time.

The place we went to normally gets frequented by ordinary working class folks. When I did see the exchange of smiles I wondered if social status had something to do with the friendly atmosphere. Could it be that if you have little financial wealth to scheme about, you have much more time and attention to devote to your friendly neighbors. I certainly don't know, but I have a hunch this might be true.