On The Outside of the 'In Crowd'

I walked into Starbucks today with full intent of filling out a job application.

As I walked up to the front door, an employee was sitting outside in the patio area with her feet on a table and a cigarette suavely resting between her fingers. Her arm sported a few colorful tattoos and I felt as if she watched me walk all the way from my car to the front door through her thick-rimmed, Buddy Holly styled glasses. It was as if she were hired by Starbucks to be a bouncer who was instructed not to let anyone who didn't look cool enough in the door.

I quickly sneaked past her and slipped into the store.

As I opened the door, I saw another employee with massively large dreadlocks that reached down to the middle of his back. He had his back to me and was talking loudly with some of the customers sitting in the dining area who must have been friends of his.

Behind the counter was a guy with fire-red hair and an equally fire-red beard that reached from his chin to his chest. He was talking with a couple of customers who seemed to know him very well. Two other baristas sat behind the cash register talking with one another and occasionally discussing something with the fire-red beard man's companions.

The whole place was bustling with people - employees were conversing loudly with the customers, coffee drinkers were talking across the store with the baristas behind the counter, employees were messing around and cutting up with one another... It felt like I had walked into a personal get-together where everyone in the cafe had been invited to the event through an announcement that was posted on Facebook using a Macbook Pro and was checked by people invited using an iPhone app.

I quickly became the self-conscious guy who didn't know anybody and who nobody knew.

"There's no way I can put in an application! Everyone here has known each other forever. There's, like, six people working behind the counter right now anyway - - they don't have any openings." I thought.

"Don't be ridiculous and shy, you idiot! Just put in an application and see if they have an opening. I'm sure these guys aren't that cool. Besides, you would fit in perfectly in no time!" Said my more sensible side.

"I'll take this coffee cup, and a tall Pike's Place, please." Said my mouth.

I then walked out the door, past the tattooed, smoking, Starbucks bouncer, and to my car - - without an application.

Who wants to work with cool people who have dreadlocks and who smoke cigarettes and are friends with each other and have good relationships with the customers, anyway?

I do. Maybe next time...