Years ago, when the only train in town let me off in front of the downtown Corner Bakery, I would have coffee and a muffin every day for breakfast. I loved those light, fluffy chocolate muffins with the little crumbly, crunchy things on top.
Life seemed so much simpler then. The terror of hurricane Ike was in the past; the town was on the mend. My job seemed secure, and it was pleasant to start the day with a smooth french roast, a sweet chocolate muffin and whatever work of fiction I was entertaining myself with back then. I remember that it was at the Corner Bakery that started to take my coffee black... It was that delicious.
That was many years ago, and having a bit of freedom from the 2020 situations triggered feelings of nostalgia. I thought I'd stop into a local Corner Bakery and see if it was all I remembered it to me.
Of course the staff followed the safety protocols of the times and wore masks for everyone's protection. It had been six to seven years since my shadow had darkened the entrance of a Corner Bakery, and I was happy to see that they still had the little chocolate muffins I loved so much. I wasn't sure if they would serve me my coffee or if I would serve myself, having seen so many places during The 2020 Happening have to close their self-service bars. I was happy to see that they let me serve myself, unfortunately, only the Hazelnut Cream was available, the french roast having run out. Alas, isn't that the sign of these new times, The New Normal of the New World Order... As it says in the Book of the Psalms of Jager:
You can't always get what you want...
but if you try,
you may find, you get what you need.
Not being a fan of flavored coffee, I took a hesitant sip of the current brew. It was somewhat weak, as I, an old Devil Dog am used to very strong coffee, but then, after biting the muffin, and washing it down with the coffee, the hazelnut and cream sprang alive with rich, sweetness, like the Summer morning at that train station so many years ago, and for a moment... just one brief moment, it was no longer 2020, and I smiled.
