Working at Munchers Bakery in Lawrence, Kansas, I see a lot of interesting people: travelers, regulars, families, friends, strange folk. When I get the chance I try to ask them two questions: "How was your morning?" and "What are you doing today?" Here were some of my favorite customers from the weekend of Feb. 24:
The Best Manager: Both women had on McDonalds uniforms. They just gotten off the night shift; weary footsteps and glazed eyes showed their exhaustion. I asked what they thought about the job. “It’s alright,” the older one said as she paid. “Yeah, but the managers are great,” the younger one said with a laugh. “They get you donuts.”
The Visitor: The woman was older; gray hair and kind eyes. I asked her what she was doing later that day. She paused for a moment, feeling out the words. “I’m driving to visit my son in prison,” she said.
The Scribbler: I flipped around the register for the woman in black scrubs to sign for her purchase (she was getting donuts for her coworkers.) With a flourish, she drew two squiggly lines. “Nice signature,” I laughed. “Bet you can guess what I do for a living?” she asked. “I’m a doctor.”
The Sorter: Still dressed in her post office uniform, she informed me that she had spent all night sorting the mail.
The Car Junkies: Later that day, the middle-aged man and the teenaged boy were going to a car show. I asked them if they were hunting for any vehicles or just looking. “He wishes,” the older man said looking at the boy. “Most of those cars are over 200 grand.” Probably not the best choice for a first car.
The Joker: I turned the box around to one of my regulars so she could check her donuts. “Does this look right?” I asked. “Looks pretty left to me,” she said.
The Surprise Partiers: The older man ordered three large boxes of donuts. “Looks like you’re having a party,” I joked. “Actually the party was last night,” he said. For his 70 birthday, his wife threw him a giant surprise party at the Eldridge Hotel. Dozens of his family and friends had driven in from all over Kansas. “I didn’t see it coming,” he said.
The Terrible Twos: A pink “Happy Birthday” pin stuck to the 2-year-old’s jacket as she clung to her mother. It was her birthday and she was sick. Since they weren’t having a party, they decided to get donuts.
The Coin Collector: He dropped an assortment of Turkish coins on the counter. One of my coworkers had told him that he liked rare coins and so he brought them in for a tip. The customer had actually gotten these coins on his own travels in Turkey.
The Compliment: As I handed the man his credit card, he handed me what looked to be a business card. It read “Thank you for being awesome. I hope you have a wonderful day.”
The Cool “Aunt:” The little boy toddled after the woman in front of him. He couldn’t have been walking for very long; every step looked like an adventure. The woman was the boy’s mom’s best friend and she was just watching him for the weekend. “Are you excited for donuts?” I asked him. “Ohhhhhhh yeah,” he said in his tiny voice. “I’m ready.”
The Safari Man: I made small talk about the weather with one of our regulars, a tall man with gray hair and blue-rimmed glasses. “I’m coming back from a week of being at the equator,” he said. “So this has been a shock to me.” For the past week or so he had been in Rwanda and Uganda observing gorillas.
The Deal Hunter: He ordered a small coffee and asked for the cost. “That will be 82 cents,” I said. “You’re kidding me,” he said. “That’s so cheap. That’s the cheapest coffee I’ve ever seen.” The man was from Washington, D.C. and he was used to spending over $5 on a cup of joe.
The Goal-Setter: He ordered one of the coffee cakes which are about the size of a human head. “That’s single serving right?” he joked.
The New Parent: He wiped the sleep from his eyes as he ordered. The man's newborn kept waking up that night. It was the man and his wife’s first baby and probably their last, according to him. “Babies are tiring,” he said.
The Kayaker: Long blonde hair and a wide smile; the man beamed good vibes. Later that day he was going to kayak the Kansas River. The 10 mile route in the 30 degree weather would take him all day. “I can’t stay cooped up like this anymore,” he said.
Disclaimer: All quotes and experiences are recalled from memory so they may not be 100 percent accurate. Many of these encounters are brief, representing just a fraction of each person's story.