I like coffee shops. I’ve always found this a good place to be creative. Thankfully, this town has plenty of them.

I enjoy the coffee at Café Campisino. It’s very good, and has a relaxed atmosphere. A had a lovely cup of coffee at Horne pecan, though I’ve been told that their mission is to sell pecans. But when you make a coffee with love, it shows. More than a couple of verses stickered on my cup have seemed relevant to me, whether by human design or God’s providence.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell how much I enjoyed the coffee shop in the Maze. Their frappes are good, and their branch in Ellaville is lovely. Red Owl has never disappointed with a blue berry bagel.

I’ve found coffee shops to be a lot of fun when writing poetry. Something about my kitchen table does not appear that conducive to the task, especially piled with various old Board of Commissioner agendas and junk mail I haven’t fully sorted through.

You never know who’ll you’ll meet either. It could be a friend you haven’t had time to catch up with who’s stopping for a quick cup. Or it could be someone from abroad. The possibilities are endless if you speak up and ask questions, and occasionally in a coffee shop, people are relaxed enough to entertain unexpected conversations.

I realize C.S. Lewis and Tolkien preferred pubs, but I think you have the same opportunity for community, albeit more coherent on average. People often assume creativity comes from a crucible of suffering or perseverance. It’s true that both of these things can be interesting topics to write on. But maybe for most of us, it would do to focus on that a little less. If I can’t barge in on Tolkien and Lewis in a bar, I can at least visit a local coffee shop. Maybe I can even invite my friends.