Let Them Drink Coffee

The scene is set in a coffee shop. It is reality television with a twist. However, this event isn’t staged. It’s the real thing.

It is not unusual to see a guy sitting at a table in a bistro sipping a Grande, mocha latte with two shots of espresso. The unique thing is that he is videotaping the normal buzz at the coffee shop. He describes the people around him as he slowly pans the camera.

Then he focuses on one place. He says, “See the guy at the table in the center of the coffee shop? He has his office set up with his laptop computer, cell phone and files laying on the table next to his Grande latte, and his cell phone just rang.”

The videographer says, “I’ve seen this happen in coffee shops.” He describes that he predicts that this man will leave his mini office and go outside to talk on the telephone. He follows him with the camera lens as the man does just that. The picture jumps around as he stands up, proceeds to the window of the coffee shop and shows the guy standing outside with his back to his table, fully engrossed in conversation.

He takes the camera over to the table where the computer is not only unattended, but is not password protected. So, this guy begins video taping the financial spreadsheets that are displayed on the computer screen. He narrates that he cannot believe people would leave their computer unattended with their company’s financial information exposed.

For the next ten minutes, he sporadically turns the camera towards the guy who is still outside on the telephone with no apparent interest in what may be happening to his stuff. He films the guy coming back in with a somewhat concerned look on his face when he sees a stranger standing over his computer.

From behind the camera, he says, “I was watching your stuff for you while you were outside on the phone.” The guy said, “Oh, okay thanks.” He seemed oblivious to what he may have revealed to just any person in the coffee shop. This is a lesson to all of us not to become too complacent with our property. Maybe the message is that we would be safer, and save money, if we stayed home to work and drink coffee.

Today’s gift was to give away my fancy coffee maker that both grinds and brews to a woman who is doing a good deed. She is helping someone in need to set up their home with things she collects on Freecycle. And now they can work and drink coffee together.

In Giving,

Robin