I\u2019m sitting here in Dunkin Donuts looking out the window with a serious case of writer\u2019s block. Vicky is over by the bridge walking her dachshund; the lot between here and there overflows with cars; a line of hungry customers inch forward, waiting for bagels and breakfast sandwiches to be handed to them over the counter. I watch all this, along with the traffic coming up to the stoplight before passing through the intersection and over the bridge and still, the dam blocking signals from my brain to the pen in my hand doesn\u2019t even open a crack.<\/p>\n
Nick comes in; chords from his ear buds decorate his neck and shoulders, a bag from John\u2019s Fine Foods with today\u2019s New York Times sticking out dangles from his hand. He sits with me, inhales a donut and then moves on. The line grows, but my block doesn\u2019t move an inch. Someone waiting for a bagel asks Nancy when the place is scheduled to close for renovations. \u201dWe don\u2019t know. It was supposed to start tomorrow, but might be another week or so. Some problem with the permit,\u201d is her reply.<\/p>\n
What a change that will bring! Hundreds of \u201cregulars\u201d will be thrown off stride. \u201cWhat to do? Skip coffee? No, that\u2019s not an option. Coffee is our drug of choice. Perk it at home? Travel to the Dunkin Donut in Apalachin?\u201d A mess of people will have to adapt. We are a species that is capable of adapting, but that doesn\u2019t mean we like it. We\u2019ll grumble while it\u2019s closed and then grumble some more when it opens back up. The familiar surroundings will be gone. My favorite table with a perfect view of the river and the traffic light will be gone. The line scheme will change to adapt to a new flow pattern. A whole bunch of innovations from \u201ccorporate know-it-alls\u201d will replace the familiar old layout with a highly engineered one.<\/p>\n
The employees will grumble the most, \u201clook at that set up! It\u2019s stupid! Why are the pots way over there?\u201d And, they\u2019ll be right. They had this place humming, efficient and customer friendly. It will be destroyed until they can make it work again. Or, maybe not? It might work just fine. We\u2019ll see. Something to watch when I get my next writer\u2019s block in a few months and sit with a blank stare on my face in new surroundings.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s then, and this is now, and all I can do is sit here with a blank piece of paper and wait for the dam in my head to break. An old coot taking up space.<\/p>\n
Old Coot \u201cLittle\u201d books are available at Riverow Bookshop, Owego.<\/p>\n
Comments, complaints can be left at mlessler7@gmail.com.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019m sitting here in Dunkin Donuts looking out the window with a serious case of writer\u2019s block. Vicky is over by the bridge walking her…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"\n