20,800 Cups of Coffee Later

After hand pouring roughly 20,800 cups of coffee at a beloved Mission coffee shop, I hang my polka dot apron and move on from my year as a barista. I experienced a most vibrant slice of life, from the neighborhood skaters to the European tourists, and refined the gift of gab during my hours behind the counter. Every few months the wind would change and so would the regulars, reflecting the transience of the city. Here I remember my favorite visitors - not by name, but by coffee and character:

"Small Ambrosia, black" - Always kind and patient, this young man found a seat at the shop to read his daily devotions after work .

"Small Tesora, cream only" - "Hey pretty lady," the Tesora man with a sunshine smile greeted. He'd order a coffee and remind us to keep smiling before driving a taxi all over the city.

"Small Philharmonic, cream and sugar" - Quiet and polite, often in a plaid button down shirt, this one was usually off to play music or keep it mellow.

"Small black Ether" - A local yogi moved out of the neighborhood but still comes back for coffee.

"Small black Seven Stars" - This tall cop patrolled the Mission and would share with me the daily police report.

"Small Turkish, honey and cream" - When not touring with the band he visited from Oakland for fuel before laying down some tracks.

"Two Tesoras, one with cream and sugar and one with an equal" - The owners of a local smoke shop, these guys certainly drank more than one cuppa joe in a day.

"Black Dancing Water in my mug" - Home from the office, walking the dog, enjoying the evening.

"Arabic coffee to go" - With a Santa Claus kind of friendly attitude, he was always full of fun facts about limestone and the mime troupe. His words of wisdom: "Don't work too hard!"

"Small So Good" - Hailing from Hawaii, this young man shook off his days repairing shoes with a skateboard and some coffee.

"Large iced coffee, sweet" - Picking up a "morning coffee" in the evening this gal in scrubs was always on her way to a night shift at the general hospital.

"Red Sea in my mug, black" - It was a recognizable green mug from the sweet old man with a twinkle in his eye.

"Small Mocha Tesora with skim milk" - If I said I had a good day this guy would claim his was stellar. If mine was great, his was outstanding.

"Small herbal mint tea with soy and honey" - A man of few words, he was always grateful and gathered with his evening pals at the shop.

"Large green tea" - Surfer dude who swore off coffee.

"Large iced coffee, cream and sugar" - Born and raised here in the Mission, this too-cool-for-school coffee drinker liked to chat about the waves at Ocean Beach and big tattoos.

"Small Canopy of Heaven" - This cheeky Buddhist master is also a master joker.

"Large Mocha Tesora with Philtered Soul on the sweet side" - He wears a magical gem strung around his neck and is never without a sleepy easy-going smile. This musician is a lover of life and jokes about his own sweet tooth.

"Large decaf Ethiopian with cream" - The gentle German who loves a cheese croissant and the fresh air.

"Small Canopy of Heaven, soymilk and sugar" - This woman is so gracious that she bows every time I deliver the coffee across the counter.

"Jacobs Wonderbar with cream and sugar in our mug" - Ordered to share, this sweet couple would negotiate with each other the amount of cream and sugar to make it enjoyable for two.

"Small hot chocolate" - This youngster who could barely see over the counter asked me if when I was a kid I said wanted to make coffee when I grew up.

At the coffee shop, I remember trying to be the perfect DJ, meeting the girl who was headed to track Sasquatch, and working on New Years Day and seeing the previous night's party clothes on parade. Serving my neighborhood coffee put me at an incredible intersection of so many lives, and now that my barista days are done, I am a coffee goddess no more.