the space between

"Matthew, what are you doing here?" a familiar voice squealed from across the bar at the cafe where i've been working since leaving the job from hell.


i looked up to see Claire, one of my law school classmates who i hadn't seen for months.  maybe a year.  i explained to her that i quit my firm job and am now enjoying working at a bustling cafe.  i love when friends come in to visit.  i make some mean drinks and am always eager to show off my skills to Philly people who didn't know me back in my Starbucks days.  

despite the busyness and clamor of a coffee shop that seemingly never sleeps, Claire and i were able to catch up.  it turns out that i'm not the only one who had to escape law firm life.  Claire quit her job and moved to another city to go back to school to get her Master's.  that explains why i haven't seen her walking her dog in Rittenhouse or jogging along the river.  Claire was in town for the weekend and wanted to spend the afternoon in the cafe, which used to be her neighborhood go-to spot.  so we chatted.  we shared our war stories.  we agreed that, five years ago, we never would've guessed that she and i would be a student and a barista, respectively.  we also agreed that life was good and that we were happy, despite plans not always working out the way we, um, planned.

i've been spending my days smiling at customers, helping old women make up their minds about their soups and salads, and generally being quite happy and energetic.  it's nice to smile at people and to not have to fight and yell over a phone or a courtroom.  i've been spending my nights reading again and sleeping like a baby.  it feels so good to be physically tired after a day of work, rather than being mentally and emotionally worn down.  maybe it's the farmer gene in me, but working hard on my feet for 8 hours agrees with me much more than sitting on my ass in an office all day.

i'm not sure how long this transition period can last, but i'm enjoying it for now.  thank Buddha.