CAPE-able Of Anything.
I had the sweetest encounter at Starbucks the other afternoon.
Mom and I were grocery shopping and as is tradition, I dressed to the nines because when a stylish young woman lives in a town where the dresscode is that of Xtra Tuff boots and Carharrt jackets, any occasion to dress up is an occasion to dress up.
Now that working at a family owned coffee shop has spoiled me, my visits to Starbucks have become few and far between.
But it was right there in the grocery store. It was fall, and that heavenly scent of that all too familiar autumn classic was whispering to me: “PSLease drink me!”
And so I did.
I’m one of those suckers for this sweet bevvie and I couldn’t resist a “sip” down memory lane.
Anyhoo, apparently my dutch braids, black boots and red plaid Pendleton caught the attention of the barista when we walked up to place our orders, and conversation ensued.
Receiving comments about my appearance is nothing new to me, but this particular tete-a-tete was a special one.
It began with: “I LOVE your coat. Where did you get your coat?”
And then it went down this lane…
“Are you from here? You don’t look like you’re from here.”
“Have you traveled? You look like you’ve been places.”
“Just moved back? Where do you live? You just bought your own house? UGH. Goals!”
“I want to be YOU! You emanate everything I want to be as an adult. How old are you?”
“ONLY 24? I’m so behind in life!”
Blushing as red as my coat, I answered her inquisitive questions as kindly, honestly, and humbly as I could. Out loud, what I’ve accomplished as a twenty-four year old sounded a lot more impressive than I’d ever thought about.
Even though she was full of admiration, I didn’t want her to think that her path had to look the same as mine in order for her to live the life she imagined for herself.
In a position to offer insight and fresh perspective on what her journey into her twenties could look like (she was 19), I jumped at the opportunity to offer inspiration to a young gal who so sweetly looked up to me (figuratively and literally because HI I’m taller than most).
My twenties, while not over yet, have been full of one thing that stands out above all others: growth.
And I’m still growing. Heck, I probably grew from yesterday afternoon to this evening!
I told her to embrace change, to know that the one thing all young people suffer through is the fact that they’ll go through periods of extreme growth, sometimes painful, but oftentimes incredibly rewarding.
I told her to be wise and save money (and that my greatest secret was getting other people to pay which doesn’t mean I’m cheap, it just means I’m smart).
I shared with her that while roommates sometimes feel like the worst, they’re a learning experience that will make you value your alone time.
I asked her not to be jealous of successful people, but to admire and aspire, and adjust as needed to accommodate her own journey, which will look different than everyone else, myself included.
As far as my clothing, which SO does not look like it belongs in this small town? That is me expressing myself to the world that with the right outfit, a young gal in her twenties is CAPE-able of anyting.
And she really is.
