Waking Dreams: Stone Cup Reflections

The cold drinks here are served in Mason jars, a subtle way of merging the vintage, the unexpected, and the Southern. Yes, prices have gone up– I paid more than $5 for my caramel latte today, but I'd say it's worth it considering this serves drinks on par with the best caramel latte I've ever had in my life at Avellino in Bellingham, Washington.

As I sit in Stone Cup, one of my favorite coffee shops in Chattanooga, I realize that the people I see around me were in my dreams last night. Or did I just see them yesterday and the day before? Maybe that seems like a dream. I'm getting used to seeing people I know all around me again. After having been on the West coast for some time and moving around so much, I'd almost forgotten what it's like to see familiar faces. Some of the faces are new, but the feeling of this place is the same: a regular hang-out spot, an office for some. In a way it's a "room of one's own."

There are always more than a few fashionable people walking around this place. Chattanooga has style. There are people studying, writing, and sitting on the patio looking out at the river and the people below. There are interviews, mentoring sessions, DTRs (Define the Relationship talks) and reunions here. Always. There are those people who talk too loud and those I wish would come talk to me. The bulletin board is plastered with events: fundraisers, organic farm tours, fashion shows, festivals, and other community events that I've put in my planner.

If I listen closely enough, I hear people dreaming together. Plans are being made for the future, ideas being shared, excitement being uncorked, and the feeling of being a Chattanoogan is in the air.

One of the things I love about Chattanooga is the possibilities. Yes, there were possibilities in Washington, a lot of them. But here, every face has a name. Every idea has an origin in a person you've seen walking Walnut Street Bridge. Every dream can be a reality. Chattanooga is one huge sounding board, and it's more than that– it's a city of resources to make things happen. It's the people that have stood to be counted. It's the community that never settles for mediocrity. We are a city that cares about its people, about the quality of life, about making a difference.

I know that I could walk up to just about anyone in Stone Cup right now and ask them what they dream of, and everyone would have an answer. Some answers would be the same; some would be totally unique. The exciting thing is that Chattanoogans are dreamers, and I want this city to be a city of waking dreams.