How Coffee got us through 2020
Hear from six Glitter Cat trainees and mentors about how coffee got them through 2020, and into the first part of 2021, or as many say “2020 part 2”.
Nicole Henderson (she/her)
Glitter Cat Barista 2020
My coffee shop has been the one place of consistency, support and socialization. I think I would have gone a bit mad without it. My manager and co-workers have been an amazing source of support. Every morning at work when I start dialing in my espresso, there is a serene moment that prepares me for the day; and with my first sip of coffee, my day has officially begun. It’s the ritual, the process, that all of us share a passion for that has gotten us through these strange days.
It’s strange to say, but my coffee shop job saved me from isolation and loneliness and for that, I am grateful.
image taken by Liz Chai
Alana White (she/her)
DiGiCat Brewer 2020
I tried to think of one thing that sat beneath me, allowing me to cruise control my way through 2020 and now 2021. Events over the past 12 months have broken my heart in more ways than I wanted to count, but I had to- I had to count. I wracked my brain trying to focalize whatever it is and was that drives my will to survive, that has driven me here. Steadily surviving. Then I realized that sometimes a drive is just a drive. Sometimes it’s laughing at funny shapes in the clouds or feeling your heart burst with the beauty you can see just looking out your window. Other times it feels like the journey will never end and all you’re left is wondering is, “Are we there yet?”.
It’s not that I deserve grief but I deserve to own my grief just as I deserve to own my joy whether that be my friends who would never let me fall on my own or the community that Glitter Cat gave me in an industry that I felt had all but abandoned me. In a time of quiet chaos, it can often feel like nothing is moving at all. With things so incredibly destabilizing and turbulent then why do I feel like I’ve stalled? Must I create chaos for chaos’ sake? For a sense of motion? I was spinning out. How do I allow myself to move forward with stillness and with presence? That’s what I truly needed to ask myself and eventually, I did. Somewhere down the road surviving must turn into thriving. It simply has to. I can’t just look over the horizon I have to see the signs in front of me that could potentially lead me there- at least in that direction. Sometimes you’ve got places to be and sometimes a drive is just a drive.
Dre Morales (he/him)
Glitter Cat Brewer 202
Taking it day by day with Banana bread & Coffee . . .
What got me through the 2020 quarantine was making coffee every morning and finding pleasure in cooking. Eventually building up the courage to learn how to bake at home. Cooking and baking can be influenced by many factors. Little changes in increments can have a dramatic impact on your outcome. The way I see it, cooking, baking or making coffee all have one thing in common: You need good ingredients, attention to detail and make intentional decisions. When everything clicks you are rewarded by something delicious and very rewarding, the only bad thing is that one requires more dishes than others. LOL
Kate Blackman (she/her)
Glitter Cat Brewer Coach & Mentor
Everyone experienced loss in 2020. Like many in coffee, I lost work. I didn’t know what to do with myself or how to replace feelings of achievement and connection. So, I made work for myself- wildly detailed home remodeling projects, obsessing over my plants and making macrame, and volunteering my ass off! The volunteering saved me- particularly with Barista KC. Working with Jerry and Ben to create a virtual tip jar that transitioned into a micro-grant program and hosting regular Barista Mercantiles at Marcell selling coffee and barista made goods bolstered my sense of community and helped me find a way to work through the year.
Audrey Canyon (they/them)
Glitter Cat Barista 2019
Me and coffee, we’re bound for life. The pandemic forced aspects of our relationship to be highlighted, yin and yang. A negative lense is a very comfortable glass to pick up, the challenge is to make ourselves better. I took my time off and found my special friend upon fresh ground (no pun intended), without scales or notion to a grid size. I simply learned to enjoy. In that reflection I learned to accept the minute, a projection to love myself in order to love and accept others, fully. My renaissance is like a pressurized diamond, coffee is an ever watchful eye, and my everloving unassuming acolyte.
Alexandra Zepeda (she/her)
Glitter Cat Selection Committee
Stress often manifests physically for me in the form of an eczema flare up and I was experiencing the worst one yet especially with the civil unrest in the US following a deep depression. I saw how my illness’ toll was taking on my family and out of desperation to ease that, I publicly asked for help for the first time via twitter and it was overwhelming to say the least to how quickly the coffee community responded and showed me how they had my back even and I will be forever grateful to have that.