In defense of coffee and purple hair streaks

There are 75 things I could be doing right now, but on purpose I decided not to do any of them because what I needed to do was write for a few minutes.

I have interesting experiences with new friends (some people call them strangers) everyday and in this, I try and record the humanity and the connection behind the encounter. Sometimes this happens over actual coffee, sometimes we plan to have coffee to learn more, sometimes, what I call a 'coffee' is just the experience of meeting and knowing a new, unique person.

When I moved to Phoenix in September, I had a completely blank slate calendar. This was a whole bunch of things: freeing, terrifying, exhilarating, confusing, exciting, and so utterly new and strange. Where do you go with a blank slate life? As a free spirited dreamer who seems to live with a realist deep inside her, I knew eventually and little by little all the things that actually make up a well rounded life would start to creep in again, and that's what started to happen, how dare those well rounded things! But that's what is needed for a person to feel grounded and connected. We need to start building routines and stability.

87 Coffees often feels like what I do when I'm living the soulful, free-spirited, non-routine life, as I'm going in-between one season or as I'm traveling from one place to the next. A lot of my 'adventures' for this book took place during last year when I was doing a lot of traveling. Now, I'm more planted, and starting to feel like it would be easy to get back to the day-to-day (which is needed), where I forget to see the adventure and beauty in simple moments all around me.

I know God has wired me to be a little bit of an adventurous spirit. And to see the possibilities of getting to know people. There's so much wisdom if you let people and their lives teach you.

Today I saw Tamera who cuts my hair. It is worth noting that today she not only cut my hair she helped me live out my new inspiration to put color in my hair by putting purple chalk streaks in my hair. So. Much. Fun.

Tamera is a creative, too. She told me that she her interests change all the time so she can have something new to tell her customers.

It seemed curious. Like she has a dual job, to tell stories to the customers. At least that's what she likes to do, I think. We think we'll try to get actual coffee sometime and she can tell me more.

I'm glad I'm back to my focus with this book. I'm glad I'm back to meeting all the people with all the stories.

Everyone can be a storyteller, if they want to be. Perhaps the world's best storytellers are disguised as cool hair dressers.