Tags
bagel, coffee shop, collective grief, death, fatigue, grief, pumpkin spice, Queen Elizabeth, royalty, William Saroyan
The middle of September and this year at Ms. Anne Thrope’s we’ve cranked out the pumpkin spice cream cheese because people want it. It’s not a big deal to whip cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves with cream cheese. I prefer October’s special cream cheese with Halloween candy mixed with the cheese. That we mix by hand.
Most conversations I hear these days could use some spice. People are dragging into the coffee shop. They’re tired–as if the warfare of politics eroded their spirits. Even Ms. Anne seemed down so I said something to her while we were working at the flattop.
“I’m not tired by what you think,” she said. “I’m feeling a sense of grief for the British people in the death of the queen.”
“I didn’t know you were an anglophile, Ms. Anne,” I said before increasing my volume. “Two plain bagels with pumpkin spice to go for Sibelius! Sibelius to go!”
“I am not an anglophile. I know the sins of the British imperial army and the East India Company. Hold on,” and she called, “Order up! Dirty eggs with lox and an everything bagel!
“As I was saying, I’m sure that the imperial army has much to atone for.”
“Sure, Ms. Anne, but you seem tired in a way that I’ve not seen before. Order to go: Everything bagel with sausage and plain cream cheese for Dunkerholm!”
“Doc, I’m feeling a grief. Not because of Queen Elizabeth, but because her death reminds me of many other deaths of people I’ve known and loved. I don’t think people understand that grief has a way of compounding itself in the same way that interest at a bank used to compound.
“Order up!” she called. “Dirty eggs with toast! Dirty eggs with banana bagel!
“Compound grief—you ever hear of that when you were a preacher, Doc?”
“I never read anything about it, but I know it exists. My first church three of the old wise leaders died within two months of one another–about six months before my arrival. Their pastor showed up late for two of the funerals and did nothing to help anyone because he didn’t like these patriarchs. The entire congregational system had a deep grief, and I’d guess compound grief is a good way to describe it. I haven’t thought of that situation in years, Ms. Anne.”
“Think more about it and let me know any insights you get. Saroyan would laugh at death, but I think that was his way of hiding his great grief. Something that went back to his father’s early death.” She raised her hand and called, “Order to go! Pumpernickel bagel and pumpkin spice cream cheese pack for Quizenberry!”
“And that seems to end the rush, Doc. Let’s talk more tomorrow. I’m going to hide in the office and deal with numbers and other stuff.”