Once More At Boston King...and I am ashamed

Odd day, so far. Uncomfortable. I'm embarrassed. And a little worried about, well, things than more important than I.

Here's my story: I'd gone to a local coffee shop, Boston King Coffee. You may remember that was the one I was in when the jewelry store was robbed, and there were bullets flying about, and I ended up squatting behind yellow "crime scene, do not pass" tape for a day.

I hadn't originally meant to go there. I'd originally meant to go to a Dunkin Donut shop, but it was crowded so I headed up the road to Boston King.

I bought an iced coffee and worked for a bit on my laptop. Then a man came in and set up shop at one the tables near mine. He was professional in dress, suit and tie. A little while later, a woman joined him, also dressed very professionally, very confident. They sat and carried on a conversation about a subject I'm interested in. Suffice to say it had to do with schooling and apprenticeships. Apparently they had something to do with a program involved with same.

As an aside, their conversation included a lot of union bashing. It seems that our state, Massachusetts, is heavily oriented to union-based apprenticeship programs, and this has led to some difficulties for them. But this aspect of their conversation didn't concern me particularly so I didn't pay much attention to it.

Then I made a mistake. And I confess that it WAS my mistake and I was at fault. There was a lull in their conversation. I was curious about the school they were involved with because, like I say, it is an interest of mine. So, I leaned toward them, apologized for listening to their conversation, and started to ask what the school's name might be.

But I never got the chance. The woman, in a very quiet, very controlled, but very emphatic way, reamed me out. "This is a business meeting," she said. "If you wish to ask questions, you may do so when we are finished." And there was a quite bit more to that effect, but I don't remember it all.

In any case, I pulled back (of course) and spent a very uncomfortable few minutes at my table before I left the place. As I went, they were still at their very, very important conversation.

Now, as I say, I'm embarrassed, even a little ashamed. Because, of course, she was absolutely right. I was not invited into their conversation. I was an intruder. And, if I'm wholly honest with myself, I suppose that my desire to talk to them was partly motivated by something other than my professional considerations. A small part of me wanted to talk to them because, well, I was a little lonely.

So, on some level, I'm ashamed.

And yet, there is another aspect of the story. Perhaps a more troubling one. For, you see, I can't help but feel that the real issue was not the fact that I interrupted them, but that I was…for lack of a better word…déclassé. I think her real message was "I am important. You are not. Don't forget that fact."

In other words, I suspect that the social interaction wasn't that of me, the clumsy oaf, being rebuked…or at least not only that…but rather simple, primitive, schoolyard bullying. Something not far removed from the middle school Queen Bee deciding who can and cannot talk to the cool kids.

Which would be bad enough, but, again, it is only the beginning. These are the people who head the non-profit educational institutions which I believe to be vital to our economic survival as a nation.

There is something distressing in that fact.

*

Oh, one last note. As I look back on the scene, I don't think I recall there being coffee cups or plates on their table. I think they came in and sat and had their "business meeting," but never once purchased anything from the café itself. In other words, I think they simply came in and squatted, without paying the fee in goods and services that a café owner should be able to request for taking up space and tables during a lunch hour.

I wish I had noticed that at the time. I wish I had mentioned it to them. It would have given me some, small consolation.

Alas, I did not.