Posted by I read this essay wistfully a few days ago. Though I have done little or almost none of my writing in a café, it threw me back to the good ol’ days, i.e. five months ago, when the prospect of stepping out of the house and settling into one corner of a cozy café existed within the realms of possibility.
A number of coffee shops thrived in and around the area I live, but the current crisis has begun to take its toll, and I see them shutting down in rapid succession. Each time I take a drive through the vicinity, I find one more joint out of business.
In the pre-covid era, I would long for weekends and holidays when I could visit one of the nearby cafes. I’d dream of writing on my laptop, nursing a cup of cappuccino by my side. The numerous characters one can spot at a coffee shop provides enough fodder for novels and short stories. The cozy corner would supply quietness and solitude while the people moving about provided the hustle and bustle.
To be honest, I never eventually did any writing in any cafes. On occasion I did lug along my laptop and attempt to write a page or two, but I always went with friends or family. Invariably I’d lock my laptop and set it aside, and spend an hour or two yapping with them, which is something I also want to do and don’t get much time for.
Now, I doubt I’ll rush to a café when things return to normal or even something remotely resembling normalcy, but I can’t help fondly remember the days when that golden possibility lingered in the air.
Have you ever done any writing in cafes? Do you long to do that soon? Let me know your experiences in the comments!
Gargi's World 