coffee with the kid

I’ve been having these coffees with Jorge – think “My Dinner With Andre” – every other Sunday, 10 a.m., at Starbucks. They are so interesting. He’s my co-worker and technical role model wannabe at the front desk at the Y, and we could barely be more different. He’s 21 and I’m 76. He’s a soon-to-be-graduating student at Cal Poly with a degree in computer science and I’m in the zip code of helpless when it comes to the technology, seven years to earn a BS in screwing around. He’s a Mexican-American kid from Fresno, CA, a real family son and grandson, and I’m a Waspy goofball older guy from the outskirts of Cape Cod, MA. mostly a loner. He’s Dodger Blue, I’m Red Sox green.

There’s just something amazingly special about our conversations. I often end up talking about stuff I didn’t remember I’d remembered, never mind a gush of details. Things just fall out, and it’s a ditto for him too – though I’m the usual chatterbox – and we laugh out loud – I laugh way more than normal out in the world. And there are many, many touching moments. Genuine moments of this big, crazy, don’t-know-what’s-coming-next la vida loca.

Sunday, Jorge talked about just that – It’s always been school, summer vacay, school, vacay, school, vacay. Now school’s coming to its BSCS end, and Jorge – who’s gone to a school career fair and been sending out resumes and interviewing – doesn’t know what comes next. As for me, the not knowing is kind of where I thrive, and sitting there a couple days ago I thought about it and said there have been really big not knowing changes much of the last 20 years of my life. It feels like that now too. It’s interesting.

I’m incredibly grateful for these rendevous’s, and I let Jorge know that. Something like a tangible “space” opens up within those 60 to 120 minutes, and something like magic falls out. It warms my heart.

Which is sweet.