Favorite Memory: Fire Alarm
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: Fire Alarm by Matt. Matt has worked at Tala for a long time, and before working with us was a close friend and regular at the cafe. He is such an integral part of the cafe here, spending most days here even when he isn’t on shift. Matt is a great community-builder, always “down for the hangs” as we like to say, and welcoming each person as they are. Matt is perhaps most known for his giftedness in music as well as his interesting hats. We’re happy to have him on the team.
FIRE ALARM
Guest post by Matt
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, let us all take a seat because it is story time. Grab your favorite wine and midnight snack, do whatever makes you comfortable. This isn’t exactly a full length movie I will admit. Better to be comfortable over uncomfortable, right?
I was off work the fateful day. That didn’t stop me from cruising right on over at 1 o’clock. The sun provided an excellent ray of brightness into a rather dry and frigid day. I don’t like cold. I wear pants any degree under 71.
Walking into the café still provides me a full blown adventure. I saw my coworkers behind the bar and my mood instantly improved. I looked left to find two awesome friends of mine, Erik and Brennan, sitting at the large high-top table. They let me sit amongst them and fully join them just after grabbing some drip (I miss mugs). The atmosphere was, in a word, chill. Young people lingo aside, I felt a relaxed excitement being with some of my favorite people in a building ever so close to my heart. The luscious greenery surrounding the perimeter provided an excellent backdrop to the mostly black and white color palette, all being completed by the exquisite wooden tables. This place is so beautiful. Stefan, Keith, Joanna, Ryan, you guys really knocked it out of the park with this.
Erik, Brennan, and I were all enjoying this peaceful afternoon having casual chit-chat and reading books either for leisure or for school.
Suddenly…
BRAYNK BRYANK BYRANK BRYANK
The shrill blare of the fire alarm had us jolting out of chairs, frantically grabbing all of our belongings. There wasn’t any fire or sign of fire we could sense, but I wasn’t about to stay inside. In the midst of the chaos, out of my mind came a wondrous new objective. I grab all of my things and run straight for the luxus pot filled with drip. Watching me break for the refill Erik joins in as well, making sure Brennan doesn’t leave being the odd one out with an empty mug.
Stationed right outside the glass windows we all awaited the arrival of the fire department (The irony in fireman blowing out a fire of a firehouse). In the cold weather it was all anticipation and wonderment on the fate of the café. The mood was generally positive despite the circumstances. Erik and Brennan didn’t seem to mind the disruption. The cold weather together with my own powerless over the situation had the potential to put my mind in a bleak state. The reason I stood afloat? Good coffee and friends. That may be the most cliché phrase I’ve ever used in a serious manner, but it’s true. Erik and Brennan gave me a confidence that wouldn’t have existed without them, the good (emphasis on good) coffee was a minor plus.
The fire trucks arrive and the coalition of bulky hunks in massive suits come pouring out, desperate to save their beloved former workplace. Well, I’ll admit that may not be an accurate description of reality. The fireman strolled nonchalantly in to the building, making sure no one was possibly locked inside any possible inferno that enveloping the café that couldn’t be seen, felt, heard, sniffed, or touched. They come out to report that café was fine. The culprit you might ask? Someone was vaping in the bathroom. Kids these days man.
Despite all the possible negativity that could have taken in my mind I was somehow positive. That day I learned something I am still learning now. I subconsciously learned to be grateful and stay in the moment. It would have been easy for me to despair standing in the freezing cold waiting to find out the fate of my workplace. But in spite of that all, I was positive. I don’t mean to say all of that to blow my own horn. I still absolutely suck at being grateful. I’m able to say it’s something I’ve experienced and am still learning how to do. Without trying to embrace Aesop’s fables and find a moral in everything, I think right now more than ever we all have the opportunity to embrace gratefulness when it is easy to be sad and depressed about life.
Thank you for all of those who joined me on this little journey, I hope to see you in the café soon.
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!