Where Everybody Knows My Name. (Or Pretends To.)

I love being recognised in the street. And one of the best things about living in my part of the world is that I get recognised in the street. A lot. This is primarily because my mother lives two streets away, and is forever at the local shops when I walk down. And she tends to recognise me, probably because she gave birth to me and has seen me regularly ever since.

However, it's not just my mum who recognises me. The neighbours from my apartment block recognise me (because we see each other in the hallway a lot), and I have a friend who lives across the street who recognises me too. But - even more thrillingly - there is a café along the main road, past which I walk every day to deposit my kids at the bus stop, and the guys who work there recognise me too.

I cannot tell you how exciting this is, to walk past a café and have the two (rather delightful looking, Italian) brothers who run the joint smile and nod. Now, it's not surprising that they recognise me, considering I stop in there most mornings for a coffee and to debrief about the events of the previous day.

and what on earth is wrong with 'extra hot'???

 

"The five year old had a fever last night," I might say, and Pino nods sympathetically, or

"I have a deadline to meet and I have no ideas!" I'll complain, and Tommy looks empathic and pours my froth, or

"I went to a sex shop yesterday to research a story I'm writing," I'll comment, and the entire café falls silent and twenty pairs of eyes turn expectantly towards me.

That kind of thing.

And then there's the fact that I don't need to order my coffee. Because they know what I like.

"Extra hot skinny cappuccino?" Tommy will ask, almost totally disguising his eye roll of despair that I would choose to ruin such a beautiful beverage with unnecessary heat. And, as it's a bloody good coffee, I will forgive him the tiny eye roll that remains.

So thank you, beautiful men of Blip Café. Thank you for knowing my name, and for knowing my coffee. And for the little love hearts on my froth of a morning.

(And for those wondering, this is not a sponsored post, though I am quite hoping to get a free cappuccino or two out of it. Maybe even a slice of toast. You listening, Pino?)

Do you have a local where everybody knows your name???