Today coffee will make you happy
Essay Series: Introductions 4/8
After rereading my last story about New York, I realized that I probably don’t make decisions in the most traditional of ways. When I started to reminisce again, another event that changed my course came to mind.
Starting at the age of fifteen, I always had at least two part-time jobs on my plate. I would move between different English teaching positions to the occasional restaurant to randomly handing out flyers. Finding new work was never a problem and I would always have something to fall back on.
At one point, I decided to transition out of a startup I was working at but suddenly found myself without the extra income I needed.
For once, I had no clue what to do next.
Even though I was playing with some ideas and making calls, things weren’t moving fast enough for me. So I changed out of my pajamas, wrote up a resume and got on the train into the city. I wanted to try to figure out my life on the 30-minute train ride.
I reached Namba station with the resume in hand but still no idea what to do with it. I took a step off the train and onto the busy and bustling platform. A billion people were rushing left and right, but my eyes somehow zeroed in on a man that was sitting on a chair against the wall a few meters away. He was wearing a letter shirt that read, “Today, coffee will make you happy”. I smiled at the cute text. As I was going up the escalator, this random shirt was still on my mind. I decided that it might be a sign.
Right there and then, I went to my favorite cafe’ in town and asked for a job. To my pleasant surprise, they had started hiring people the week before. My first day was a couple weeks later and it became one of my favorite jobs.
Looking back, I’m even surprised that I was inspired by a T-shirt, but these past two years would have been completely different without that split second decision.
To name a few experiences:
And not to mention being able to meet and connect with so many incredible people, all thanks to this one little drink. Just like how art came into my life, coffee also subtly made its way in and is now a major part of my day. Each morning when I make a cup, I am reminded that something so blended in with our everyday lives can lead to some amazing events.
But just one problem.
From drinking about five coffees before noon when I worked at the coffee shop… always grabbing a latte whenever I am in town… making a cup or two first thing in the morning… I realized that I developed an innocent caffeine addiction.
So in honor of New Years being around the corner, I came to the conclusion that it just might be time to cut down in 2020.
Psych. I’m not going anywhere.
Otsukare and Yoi Otoshio.
Love and good vibes to you all in the New Year!
Hey lovelies. This is an 8-part series entitled “Introductions” that will slowly make its way to you over the next few months. I’m sharing some pieces of my life and how I started creating along with a little insight into the process for some current projects. Share your life with me too and enjoy the ride.
“It’s a bizarre but wonderful feeling, to arrive
dead center of a target you didn’t even know you were aiming for”