So I Would Not Make A Good Barista

This pre-dates my college years a bit, but it was my first experience in the working world – besides babysitting and lawn care. I tended the young child of a lady who worked as a secretary in a law firm. Being a first time Mom, she would often call to see how things were going while she was away. As a result, she knew my phone demeanor. Normally that would not make any difference, all that matters to be a good babysitter is how you are with children, but this time it lead me to a new experience.

A family emergency came up and she was unable to find a replacement at work. The result was that she asked me to fill in for her. I was only 13, but I am not sure anyone realized that. The lawyers agreed, and the day before she had to fly home I was trained on a few receptionist duties. One of these tasks included making coffee. Sounds simple, right? I do not come from a coffee-drinking home, so it was new to me. I tried to pay careful attention to her instructions.

I came to work every day. I made the coffee – just like I thought she had shown me – answered the phones, and thought I was doing a pretty good job. On my second-to-last morning I overheard one of the lawyers, “This stuff is awful! I’ll sure be glad when our regular gets back! Until then, maybe I should start making the coffee myself…”