On sitting in Panera...writing...

Until last Christmas, I had never owned a laptop...

My dear husband, honoring my deep desire to write, bought me a Macbook for Christmas with the stipulation that I would actually write that novel that has been kicking around in my head for EVER.

Prior to my Macbook ownership, I had observed people sitting in Panera (my favorite "fast food" of all time), typing on their laptops...

It was sort of romantic...

I imagined what they must be writing...

Poems...

Blog posts...

The great American novel...

In reality, they were likely typing term papers,

English assignments,

Emails.

Un-romantic stuff.

But I always dreamed that someday I'd be sitting in Panera writing my novel, people watching, listening to conversations, observing the wait staff going about their work...

That just made me sound a bit voyeuristic and...well...maybe I am...

In reality though, today is the first time I've ever brought my laptop to a public place to write.

Why?

I don't know.

I do have a limited attention span and all the distraction may prove unproductive...

So far so good, though.

I tend to be a bit of a home body...

But here I sit...writing...sipping a caramel latte with half the syrup, thank you.

And it's inspiring to be surrounded by activity...

To have stories happening all around me.

A woman eats alone with earphones on...

She texts at the same time...impressive...

Two rustic men talk about projects they're working on...

The couple behind me are chatting about work...

A woman sits outside with a man, snuggling the cutest black lab puppy I've ever seen...she is almost eating him up...and how can she resist?

It's morning but some people have ordered lunch...

Others just have coffee.

The men are talking about their kids now...if their voices were higher, I'd think they were women...it's gossipy and funny.  

An older gentleman just sat down with a book...he could be my dad except he isn't.

My dad does Panera with a book...he is a "regular".   They love him here.

This gentleman is texting...his phone is small and his fingers are arthritic and large. 

His glasses sit on the very tip of his nose and he concentrates.

I wonder if the recipient of that text will appreciate all the effort that went into it...

Which somehow reminds me of the reason I'm here...

To write the great American novel...

In Panera...

Like I've dreamed I'd do...

I'd better get busy!