I’ve been running on empty for the last couple months, grasping for some semblance of day-to-day structure. I keep waiting for renewed energy to arrive, in tandem with the return to “normal” everyone’s talking about. But the definition of normal is as fuzzy as my head feels every morning when my pup wakes me up at 6 a.m. sharp for his breakfast. (Benny, on the other hand, loves structure.)
The thought recently occurred to me that maybe I’m doing it wrong—in an abnormal world, why search for something that doesn’t exist? I needed a spark, and a bit of inspiration conveniently moved in up the street from me in the form of Yonder Cider’s garage bar.
Instead of pining for a taproom full of people, Caitlin Braam just opened a pick-up spot for her cider company, right in her own garage. Because Yonder is located on one of Seattle’s “Stay Healthy Streets”—which have been closed to traffic, so walkers and cyclists can take advantage of the increased space—people can walk up, grab a four-pack, and get back to whatever structure is keeping them going, cider in hand.
I stopped off at the garage on a neighborhood stroll, and after a chat with Caitlin, I walked off with my pup and my four-pack. I resolved at that moment to forget “normal,” and to build my own path towards a future that might be as abnormal as it is joyful. If I’m being perfectly honest, the cider was good motivation.
