Familiarity

Is it wrong that I’m such a junkie for Noah’s Bagels?

It’s to the point where I can walk through the door and the guys (or gals) working start preparing what has for me become “the usual.” I’ve never been able to use that phrase before, and it feels like some sort of momentous accomplishment, one of those events that everyone hopes one day to realize but rarely does. And who knew there were people hiding there? The individual behind the counter is no longer a nameless placeholder but a recognizable aspect of the establishment. Mike, Gretchen, Ben; these names are now implicit to the shop, as much so as the delicious circular morsels sold within.

Perhaps this whole phenomenon is incident, a by-product of the excellence of their wares. But perhaps not. A certain amount of outgoingness was certainly involved in the formulation of the relationship, offered from both sides of the fence. Just as each day my habits within Noah’s must have become more and more familiar to the workers there, so too did the idiosyncrasies and manner of each of them become more ingrained in my mind. I am a sociable person, or at least I would not label myself as particularly shy, and this probably contributed to the mix as well. Whatever the case, though passive elements are present, the active are the more noticeable and important in my head. They must be important, for examples exist where the same sort of selective consumerism goes on and the perpetrator does not experience the camaraderie that I have come to enjoy (e.g., my friend the ‘Jamba Juice Junkie’, who seems to feel that a similar relationship with that store’s workers would be too strong an indication of his addiction to their sweet, succulent smoothies, as if his cravings were the cause of some personal embarrassment).

But I don’t think being a junkie is wrong. Bagels may be as addictive as crack, but the physiological effects are not nearly so dire. I am resigned to the fact that my life’s earnings will find their eventual resting place in Noah’s, and though my wallet hates me for it, my stomach is one happy camper. That I’ve made some new acquaintances along the way is fine by me.

Posted on 07/18/06 at 9:55AM,