More than just a good cup of coffee

So, there have been some derogatory monikers attached to the cafe on Commercial street. One that especially itches me is the tag "looser's place". I guess in deeper reflection that is correct, as the owner has, in fact, lost a lot of money (read: invested), to keep the cafe open. In no way is it big enough to accomodate the whole town; I get wide-eyed at the thought of several hundred people waiting for coffee; spilling into the street. What a sight that would be. So, it does cater to those that live an alternative or retired lifestyle or both. The cafe is open during business hours, when working people work, so that influences the selection of customers. Since my primary career has been Prison avoider, which with my 'colorful' past I have done quite well (though it doesn't pay, the benefits are great). So, like some of the other losers, I spend way too much time at the Cafe and am not making hay while the weather is hot. I will at best, tag along at the bottom of the economic food chain and scrape up enough money for a meager life. The poor will always be with us. The losers too, as when there are winners, losers are created.
Having confessed my shortcomings, I will point out something that the casual observer cannot know. For one thing, Gretchen is a remarkable person and brings a rare compassion and wisdom to the cafe. I have noticed the difference in how I react to situations and how she does. Her reactions are life-affirming; live and let live. As a result, a wholeness is created and remarkable things happen. Between friends this may be common, but in the context of a communal gathering place, complexity rises and as do difficulties. To my knowledge, only one person has been excluded, not because of anything that Gretchen said, rather the person sensed that their behavior was realy unappealing and subsequently did not return.
In this context, I have observed some transformations in people. It is my conviction (yikes, wrong word: read belief), that the wholeness of the cafe is a primary factor or catalyst for these changes. For social beings acceptance is paramount, perpetual isolation is akin to death. I have seen this in my life and see it in the lives of some of my friends.
So, here at the cafe something important happens that cannot be duplicated in a clinical setting. There is a sincere concern for people and that concern is truly healing. Humane attention is manna for the psyche.