Favorite Memory: Things and Stuff
FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM YEAR TWO
In celebration of our birthday, we’re asking a fun question to our Tala community: what’s your favorite memory of the cafe? We’re reminiscing about the times shared, coffees tried and people met. To answer this question we’re having different people from the Tala team write their responses each day. Follow along to hear some of our highlights from this second year together. You’ll hear about life on the other side of the counter, life after hours, before hours, and lots of fun things that happen in and around the cafe. You’ll hear highlights and memorable moments as well as lessons and reflections. Thanks for following along with us.
Next up: Things and Stuff by Conner. Conner came to us in September last year. He had just moved here to start a graduate program at Trinity after finishing undergrad at Taylor University. He found Tala quickly after moving and we welcomed him to the team as a perfect fit for our little family. Conner is the kind of guy who will quote beautiful poetry and Hot Rod in a single sitting. Notable for his mustache—of which all men at Tala are jealous—his hearty laugh and his thoughtful questions, among many other things.
Things and Stuff
Guest post by Conner
I happen to be fond of a poet named William Carlos Williams. You may know him from high school English class. Chances are he wrote one of, if not the poem that caused you to think poetry is dumb. It goes something like this:
So much depends
Upon
A red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens[1]
Nothing more. A dumb poem for a man with a dumb name. You can probably tell by my tone that I think otherwise. If I could only tell you one thing about Williams – which is all I can do here – it would be that he knew the importance of things. Stuff. The poem above is about a thing. And in Williams’s mind, a lot depends on it. I think he’s right and my time at Tala has only reassured me of that.
Everyday, I am surrounded by incredibly generous people. I know that they’re generous because of the way they use their things. My bosses and my coworkers have invited me into their homes, cooked me meals, shared expensive whiskey with me, given me furniture, and so much more that I’m embarrassed to list anything else that I’ve accepted. You, our customers and friends, have done the same. You’ve given me pastries, soap, home-made wine, and expensive whiskey (a fortunate common denominator). Of course, these things are never just things; they carry with them ideas of love, hospitality, gratitude, and friendship. That’s exactly why our favorite dumb poet begins his masterpiece Paterson by ruminating on the phrase “no ideas but in things.”[2] We might even say: “no community but in things.”
At Tala, we make coffee, one of our – and apparently many other people’s – favorite things. And it is this simple thing that has made many of my joys in the past year possible. Which is really just a dumb way to say that you, the Tala community (coworkers, owners, customers and all), have given me joy. So, thank you. I don’t like to presume but I will anyway: I think I speak for myself and my coworkers when I say we’ll keep making things and giving them away and we hope that you, our customers and friends, will keep showing up and surprising us with how many things you give us. Here’s to another year of lots of things, and stuff.
What’s your favorite memory?
We want to hear your favorite memories at Tala! This week, we’re giving away a $200 gift card to one lucky individual who tells us their favorite memory. Full details are available below—make sure you post about your memory this week to be entered to win!