I’ve worked hard on creating simplified sheet music for three songs I’ll be playing on my cello in a few weeks.  This morning I strolled southward to the copy shop that would turn all this into real paper with a lot of squiggly marks on it.

At an intersection, I noticed an Izy Coffee on the far corner. This is Ghent’s second location for the franchise. The first one, in Ghent centrum, is a second home for me, with my friends Bart, Larisa and Arien running the show.

Curious about the decor, I glanced in the open door. And there sat Bart! His eyes lifted to meet mine. “I’ll buy you a cappuccino, Bruce.” Sounded good to me.

Bart introduced me to the shop’s barista – Ari. A big guy with a big smile. Ari is from Iraq. He was a physical education teacher there.

Awhile back, he moved to a city in Belgium which I won’t name. First, he couldn’t get a job in his profession. Actually he couldn’t get any job. Ari faced huge prejudice. The stereotype of a tall Muslim fellow being a terrorist was intense. How sad.

Bart and Ari met somehow and Bart offered training to become a barista and employment afterwards. And Ari grew to be an excellent barista.

Then the saddest part of the story. A woman walked into the coffee shop in that anonymous Belgian city and said to the other employee “I don’t want him to make my cappuccino.” Yuck.

Like all of us, Ari has had his share of tough times. Far more than his share. But I looked over and there he was smiling. Magnificent.

As I reflected on human kindness and meanness, three cyclists rolled up to the door. They added to the smiles at Izy’s. They also added to the accents. I could listen to the one fellow speak until the end of time. The guys looked to be in their 50s or 60s and they were spending many days climbing big European hills. So fit!

I was pleased with the reaction inside my head. “Good for them. Good that they have embraced a mighty adventure.” Their expression of energy is different than mine. I’ve let cycling go. And these fellows were full speed ahead. Isn’t it great that we’re not all the same?

There sat the six of us … characters all. Tonight we have stories to tell about coffee lovers who show up at Izy’s.

Good for us