The Oasis - Part One

Okay, so here's something weird that happened to me while I was in Morristown. And while it may be weird, it certainly was something I brought upon myself.

So my wife had plans to take a Jazzercize class with some old friends in downtown Morristown. This was something that had been planned over the last two months with what seemed like endless phone calls between Los Angeles and Florida because there was a very narrow window of time for this plan to work. And while I wasn't going to take the class, my wife was going to drop me off at the coffee shop where I would read a book and do whatever while she and her friends danced the pounds away. But a funny thing happened on the way to downtown Morristown (something that is better left unsaid) and we were running really late. And suddenly things became: 'rather than dropping off LA Barabbas at the coffee shop, we'll just point it out as we blow by it at top speed and you can walk back to it.'

So that became the new plan.

My wife pointed out the window and said:

"That's the place right there."
"Where those two guys are smoking," I asked.
"Yeah."

So I made a mental note as we passed and turned left and drove down to the end of Main Street. We parked the car and I walked my wife up to those crazy elevated sidewalks and kissed her goodbye as she tried to duck as inconspicuously as possible into the back of the class that was already well under way.

And now I was faced with trying to find my way back to the coffee shop.

So after I navigated my way off those floating walkways (there's lots of deadends up there), I made my way back up Main Street, past all those closed antique shops until I found the guitar store and I turned right, back up the way we had driven in. I walked up the street, past a glass window with 'The Oasis' painted on it and I kind of looked in, but it didn't quite look like a coffee shop. I mean, there were a couple of tables and people seemed to be drinking coffee, but there was just something that wasn't quite right. So I walked past it, but was then at the end of the street and realized there was nothing else so it seemed that this place, The Oasis, had to be the coffee shop that we drove past as we came into town. It had to be the place. I mean, the only other places around were an insurance place, an old furniture store and some doors that looked like they led to store front churches.

So I went back.

I pushed the door open and stuck my head inside and realized that there were indeed people sitting at tables drinking coffee but they were 80 year old men sitting in small clusters and the coffee was apparently being served in small, Styrofoam cups. The walls were covered with big vertical banners that were covered in biblical verses and scenarios depicted in colorful felt and I just had this feeling that something wasn't right. I mean, was this where the hipsters of Morristown hung out? Was this were all the cool kids sat and drank their coffee, surrounded by old men with "Be Patient - God Isn't Finished With Me Yet" on their trucker hats under the ever-vigilant gaze of a felt Jesus clutching a cotton ball lamb? Was this the new ironic? Was I this far behind the time? I was this old?

But before I had a chance to really process all of these deep thoughts, I was approached by a grey-haired old lady in a blue denim jumper who smiled at me.

"Welcome. May I help you?"
"Is this the coffee shop," I asked.
"Well, it's a coffee shop slash mission. Why don't you come inside from the cold and let me close the door behind you.

And at that moment I knew I had a decision to make - either own up to the fact that I can afford to pay for a two dollar cup of coffee or give myself over to this and see what happens next.

And I decided to see what happens next.

To Be Continued, I Suppose...