On Thursday mornings before work I usually stop at a coffeeshop to sit and write in my journal. I divide my time between two coffeeshops within a block of each other. This morning I went to Carberry's. Carberry's is okay, although the paper cups have a tendency to leak. There is a lot of good people-watching to be done at Carberry's--most of it on the inside. At the other coffeeshop, I like to sit at the window and watch the passers-by. The last two visits to Carberry's have featured the same guy. I will call him Leaning-Way-In-To-Talk-To-His-Tablemate-and-Also-Wearing-Spandex-Pants Guy, or LWITTTHTAWSPG, for short.

During my last visit, LWITTTHTAWSPG was there with another Leaner, and the two of them sat forehead to forehead gesticulating wildly while talking about something important. LWITTTHTAWSPG caught me looking at him and smiled at me, a very welcoming smile. He then grabbed his pencil and leaned back in, using the pencil to punctuate his already pronounced hand movements.

This morning LWITTTHTAWSPG was there with a different guy. This new guy had a portfolio-sized day planner on the table and was leaning back into his chair in a power-type position. This made me mad, because LWITTTHTAWSPG deserves to be leaned into. How can he be expected to be brilliant when the other person is leaning away. If I were having a morning meeting with LWITTTHTAWSPG I would lean in, even though that sort of thing makes me uncomfortable. I would lean in and speak in a conspiratorial whisper, while pretending to be a spy.

P.S. Thanks Syl.