Alan

I work at a little Espresso bistro. I have a regular customer who comes in numerous times a day. He has an office in the building and he says I make the best cappucinos. This is quite a compliment for 2 reasons. The first reason is that I work at a coffee bar that is quite pretentious about their Italian coffee and about things being done in the traditional Italian way. I was taught how to make a cappucino from the owner who is an Italian woman who takes it quite seriously. Reason number two is this: we recently changed cups to a different shape and Alan began telling us that the coffee tasted different. Sounds crazy (and he's not pretentious about it, he doesn't care, he just likes a good cappucino, which, apparently Starbuck's can't make) but he's actually right. The shape of the cup gives it a slightly different taste (so the experts say). So, now, I'm considering him quite a connoisseur. He says I make a the best, most consistent cappucino. Wow, he gets at least one a day from the owner. He came in this afternoon and enjoyed his cappucino so much and considered that I don't work tomorrow and he ordered another. So, enough of the silly espresso talk, this afternoon is what leads me to write any of this at all. This afternoon Alan said to me, "Boy, you're smart!" This only means so much to me because this man is probably in his 60's and is an architect and has more interesting things to say than most anyone I've met. This is the man who said that I am smart. I regularly have afternoon conversations with Alan about Portland history, stocks, investing, tennis etc. I ask a lot of questions and I listen intently. I've learned a lot and occasionally so does he. I don't know where this stuff comes from in our conversations, maybe the pressure draws it out of me. The pressure I put upon myself to not look like a 27 year old fool, who hasn't got her life together. I've told him about an old jazz club and the history I've heard about it and the desires of a green architect to renovate it, the stocks I follow and think would be good to invest in, back roads geography of the Portland area that I know of, and toady I figured out his new cell phone for him. Simple things but for some reason through all our conversing he has paid me one of the most valuable compliments on this day...I'm smart. Even if only Alan and I think so, it makes me feel good.