It's Good to Be a Regular

I have been living in Columbus for about a year and a half and have really enjoyed my time thus far.  One aspect of city that I love are the neighborhoods - there are some great places to go and enjoy coffee, go out to eat, and go out on the town.

One of my favorite places to frequent is Stauf's Coffeehouse in Grandview.  This place has a great atmosphere and is always filled with a variety of people - friends, family members, neighbors, students, etc...  When I go to Stauf's, it's typically to do homework, and as a grad student who lives and works on campus, it serves a dual purpose as my escape.

I've been coming here a few times a week this school year (I'm here so much, one barista knows me by name and what I like to order) and have noticed the same people.  My favorite person is this older woman with shorter gray hair, always dressed in black with a black hat and glasses.  She sets up at her favorite table, diligently working on word puzzles.  When she needs a break, she walks around the shop, arranging furniture or collecting disposable cups.  She intrigues me.  I want to know more about her.  What brings her here every night, what makes her want to serve as the community member that keeps this place in order?  My goal is to continue to come to Stauf's and work my way toward conversing with this woman - finding out her life story.  I feel as though she has many life stories to offer from her youthful years...

In addition to making friends with the lady in black, I guess what I'm most excited about is I feel like I've become a regular, which is something I feel I've been wanting here - a sense of community.  Let me be a bit cliche here and say that it's like the theme song from the sitcom Cheers "you wanna go where everybody knows your name."