Since I've started working for my latest family, I've had coffee at the same shop every day before picking up their daughter from school.

I'm super lucky to work so close to home, so I've been familiar with this particular café for most of my life. When I would end up there every once in awhile, before my now daily trips, I would run into a group of regulars. My favorite of which, I call Wally because he reminds me of Wallace Shawn.

His speech impediment isn't as pronounced, but it's present; and he's always with the same group of people.

Now that I've become an everyday regular, I noticed that they're everyday regulars too. It's comforting to be surrounded by familiar faces sometimes, yeah? I certainly think so, even though all Wally does is rant about whatever's bothering him to what look to be mostly non-interested by-standers. I notice a lot of times his friends just ignore him and go on talking about something else while he's discussing why he hates Obama, or that he shouldn't have to pay to get his house earthquake proofed.

Today's topic du jour was about how he thinks Mt. Hood should be a national park like Mt. Rainier is. His only reasoning for why Rainier is instead of Hood was a 200ft elevation dispute. Then he started talking about why he like George W. Bush.

I really like seeing him every morning. It's a real pick-me-up because his topics of conversation are so entertaining, and his lack of social perception is kind of hilarious. (Also sad, I'm not that ignorant.) Sometimes I walk into the coffee shop like, "I wonder what's up with Wally today?"

His wife usually sits in the chair next to his with a book, unless one of her friends is with the group of regulars, which happens occasionally.

I find there's a lot of comfort to be found in sameness sometimes. For now, that sameness is Wally.

Happy people watching~!

-Mac

Regulars.