Nostalgia at the Magpie

This afternoon I dropped by Magpie Coffeehouse for some coffee and a cookie. The place has a lot of meaning for me as I had gone to Bible studies there for three years and then worked there for three years. I met some of my best friends there.

It was Nordic Fest weekend, and the 'Pie was close to closing time. When I walked in, there was only one other customer: my old friend and Magpie customer Mike Blevins. We sat and chatted about nice things.

Soon, the Coldplay song "The Scientist" came on and Mike and I started singing the song. "The Scientist" was a quintessential song for the Magpie. It always conjures of visions of my old friends who I miss a lot and the many late-night conversations we had after we closed the shop. After relating this to Mike, I mentioned that I have come to realize that my Magpie experience taught me an important lesson: I will probably be nostalgic for every period of my life and I need to recognize that I am building the pieces of these beautiful memories--and have the presence of mind to realize how precious they are while they are happening. Upon appreciating the present moments in their fullness, it is then possible to remember them in a healthy way.

At this point, Mike and I raised our coffee to The Magpie, "as it was, and as it will be."