DAWN was BREAKING


6.25am… 6.27am…6.29am. (Don’t be late Steve!) I wanted to be one of the first in line when the Mount Maunganui cafe opened at 6.30. 
Dawn was breaking with a glowing sun behind me in my car rear vision mirror. Tay Street was now a hundred metres away. As I drove closer I glanced to my left to see a large crowd of young people milling around on the cafe steps. 
After parking the car I crossed the road somewhat confused and wandered through the conviviality. Someone in the cafe yelled, “Wait time is about 30 minutes!” Too long for me. Fortunately, looking to my right at another cafe next door I noticed a young man running around putting cafe chairs out like a deck of cards. I realised that this cafe that normally opens at 7am was hoping for an overflow of customers. I joined their queue of 3 that steadily built in a few minutes. The lone barista immediately impressed me with the friendly way he greeted and treated each customer. We all got a smile and a genuine, “And how are you today?” 
Brief but meaningful conversations followed. I introduced myself to Sam and told him that he was good at his job. He thanked me back and shared some insightful thoughts. “I like being nice and I need the connectivity of people. It’s all about relationships. I had a lot of adversity when I was young and that shaped me.” 
I then asked Sam about the crowd next door. My turn to smile as he said, “They meet every Friday morning to meet new people and have a dip or a swim in the ocean. Great for your mental health.” 
I couldn’t agree more with his thoughts. Delicious coffee too.

Comments

  1. Mr KennedyNovember 20, 2025 at 1:29 PM

    Love a good cold dip!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Daniel CordovaNovember 26, 2025 at 8:55 PM

    Great points on maximizing small spaces! Glass is one of the best tools for making rooms feel larger and brighter. Check out Pro Glass and Mirror, Inc for custom residential glass solutions.

    ReplyDelete

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