J

Once in a while, I would go to my local coffee shop, not exactly for the food or coffee, although they are pretty good, but for the atmosphere. It was a small shop, but all the locals knew of this spot. Have a casual meeting? Want to read your book in peace? Have a free hour to waste? Want a snack? This shop was the perfect place to go.

The owners of the cafe are a young black couple in their thirties. Let’s call them A and J.

A met J when he was in high school and she was in college, but they shared a passion for food and coffee (of course). A was an athlete and J was the captain of the debate team and a musician. Together, they were happy. They made the people around them happy too. A was outgoing and always all smiles, as well as humorous and optimistic. J was a little quieter, but attentive and quick with witty remarks (as the captain of a debate team oh yes).

When J wanted to start a coffee shop, A was all in. J was already working a full-time job as an online accountant who worked online at home, and the dream of opening a coffee shop became her passion. Growing up, her single, hardworking mother had worked as a diner, and although times were tough, the white owner was nice to everyone, regardless of their background history or the color of their skin. To be a single mother in the 1900s was no easy feat, but with help with supportive friends and J growing up responsibly, she managed. J then grew up to be a wonderful, humble woman who acknowledged how grateful she was everyday, and often looked back on the kindness of the diner owner who allowed her to stay and do homework at the back table after school.

The following story was one that was passed around often afterwards:

One winter, there was a homeless veteran who lingered in front of the cafe in hopes of some change. Less than an hour in the cold later, he was brought to the attention of J (who was in the back kitchen while A was not at the cafe yet). J immediately welcomed the veteran in, seated him at the corner table where a heater vent was right next to him, brought him a warm bagel, a cookie fresh out of the oven, and a steaming cup of coffee. And then she sat and listened. For the next hour, she simply listened to his story.

To those who do not know J, they may think she was just a young black business owner who was nice. However, J was more than nice. She may not have been a celebrity, but she was an influential person in her own way. She helped others however she could, and she would go extra lengths to ensure that they didn’t give up halfway. Her debate teammates and opponents often said that after a debate, she would point out something that they said that she really liked, or something that could help them improve. Oftentimes her compliments were on the small stuff. But those “small” stuff were the ones that really mattered. She listened to a homeless veteran? But that same man now rents an apartment and has a full time job, as well as a wife and soon to be child.

J was no famous person. But in her own way, she became famous in that little town.