STARBUCKS 11

A chilly gray morning today, as I rose early to take MissSix to her last morning at Golf Camp. Yes, golf camp. Don’t look at me like that – she asked to go. Golf is not for me. I like sports with bigger balls. Heh. I decided to treat her to a breakfast out at the Atrium Starbucks, right across the street from the beach park where the Rec Department holds the camp. I never go to the Atrium Starbucks anymore because I prefer the OOGCP, but as MissSix prefers Starbucks’ sausage breakfast sandwiches I defer to her and am frankly too sleepy to think it out much further than KID STARBUCKS EAT SMILE.

The OOGCP has pulled a lot of business from this Starbucks. There is a distinct gap in clientele and mood between the two shops. This morning, everyone in the Starbucks is OLD. Like, even older than me. It has become the rest home of coffeehouses. It seems bland and quiet in comparison to the OOGCP, which has much better music, better coffee, better food, and interesting people. But of course none of this matters one tiny bit to MissSix, as she pulls apart her sandwich to let some of the steam escape. I look at her face, sort of sleepy and puffy like mine, but with her smooth perfect skin and bright pretty eyes and teeny baby teeth still there.

MissSix: Mama, what does it say on my cup?

Me: It looks like someone has written “MOOOOOOOOO” on it. Someone was being funny because you were having a milk.

MissSix: Oh. Ha ha. (pauses) I have fear.

Me: You have what? Fear??

MissSix: Yes, I have a lot of fear.

Me: Oh! What about?

MissSix: I fear a lot about bad guys coming. I saw some of the news – I know I wasn’t supposed to look but I did for just a second – and there was this guy that killed like a million people!

Me: Oh, um, well, hmm. I don’t think you have to worry at all about anything like that here, ever. You have to remember that the news reports a lot of bad stuff and not very much of the good stuff. Most of the stuff going on in the world is pretty good, but people like to hear about the bad stuff more.

MissSix: Why?

Me: I guess it is just the way people are. It’s more dramatic, all the bad stuff. People pay more attention to it. Good stuff sometimes seems boring, maybe. But you have to remember that most people are out there and making good choices and things are fine.

MissSix: It would be just terrible if wars came to Washington!

Me: Oh, yes, but I don’t think that is going to happen.

MissSix: What is living in a war like?

Me: Oh, um, I guess it depends on the war. Sometimes people can live kind of normal lives and sometimes things are really really bad. It’s always very sad.

MissSix: (brightening) I know where I would hide in a war! McDonald’s!

Me: (smile) Is that right?

MissSix: Yes! I would have lots of food and no one would bother the clown guy.

Me: HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

And with that, we finish our food, walk back into the misty morning over to golf camp, free from bad guys and fast-food insurgencies.