Lord... We Need a Pub! (part 1)

I hand the large and intimidating man my license. He glares at me as if to say, "You better watch yourself, buddy," but then nods his head to allow me in. Upon entering this house of libations, the thick smell of perfumes, alcohol and B.O. fills my nostrils as the gratuitous thumping of subwoofers blaring out something by Brittney Aguilera or the Black Eyed Timberlakes attacks my eardrums. I shoulder my way through the crowd of packed masses trying to not lose sight of the people I came with. By the time I get my overpriced drink, I'm left with the options of yelling a conversation with my friends, awkwardly dancing way too close to people I don't know, or sitting back (if I actually found a seat) and creepily staring at the whole scene.

Sound familiar? This has been my experience with the whole bar/club scene. You can probably guess my opinion on these establishments, but can we at least admit that these nights out never are as glamorous or fun as they are on TV or the movies?

Maybe this will be more familiar.

I walk up to the counter and order my drink. They hand it to me in a disposable cup as if to say, "Would you get out of here already," but they do it with a smile, so I accept it gladly. I find a seat at a tiny table as the sounds of steamers, blenders, and indie music fill the air. I look around and quickly realize that without the fluorescent glow of a MacBook or IPad shining on my face or the designer look of white ear buds nestled in my ears, I have unwittingly reduced myself to the awkward drinker of coffee with no other plans.

This, of course, is the publicly private experience of the coffee shop. I acknowledge that I am being dramatically negative toward these two business types, but I'm trying to make a point. Isn't it interesting that two of our primary locations for social gathering, the bar/club and the coffee shop, are not conducive for conversation... especially conversation with new people.

At the bar, I have to yell until I'm horse. At the coffee shop, I fear that I'm interrupting a study session. It's not that this is all bad, but it makes sense to me why our culture needs virtual "friends" to whom they can share their thoughts in hopes that they will be "liked."

It seems to me that we need an alternative. We need a place where music sets the mood, but politely stays in the background. A place where we can learn philosophies on life, hear stories of triumph and defeat, and gain a new understanding on any and all trivial matters. We need a place where we can learn the art of savoring. A place where everybody knows our name. Lord, help us! We need a pub.

To be continued...