“People looking for utopia
miss the good things developing right in front of them.” – Alan Briggs in Staying Is the New Going.
We who live in the Historic
Milton College Neighborhood already think it is a special place. Not only are
we part of a great community, but we also enjoy neighbors who care about our
space and who watch out for each other.
Three weeks ago, on June 20, 2020, we upped our game significantly with
the opening of Sharla’s Coffee Stop. Sharla’s is in the front of Whitford hall,
a space that was once the Milton College library. While you can get a cup of
coffee at many places in Milton, Sharla’s is the only “true” coffee shop within
a radius of several miles.
Being a coffee lover, as well as
a Milton lover, I was ecstatic about this news and couldn’t wait to try it out,
so I was among the first patrons in the door at 7 a.m. on opening day. I was
very curious about the “fit” of a coffee shop in this historic building but any
fears I had conjured were laid to rest immediately. Sharla’s décor and use of the
space simply looked and felt right.
I went to sample the coffee and
welcome this new business to Milton and especially to our neighborhood. I discovered so much more than great coffee –
I realized immediately that I stumbled into pure community & neighborhood
spirit - the stuff of life as it were. Dave, Sharla, & their daughter, Fiona
are the proprietors, operators, and our new neighbors. Dave and I instantly perceived that we had a connection. How did we know? I’m not sure, but we just
did. It was in the air. It was palpable.
I couldn’t help but take liberties with this Billy Joel song as I thought about
Dave – Sing us a song you’re the coffee man, sing us a song so nice. Well,
we’re all in the mood for camaraderie, and you’ve got us feeling all right.
So, what’s up with this community/neighborhood
spirit business? I believe in neighborhoods and make efforts to get to know and
check in with the people and families who live in what we call our
neighborhood. Most of the time that is a wave or a shouted “hi” as people are
working in their yard or driving past.
We do have a neighborhood potluck once or twice a year but most of the
time our connections are more arms-length. I was pleasantly surprised that
several of my neighbors were at Sharla’s sampling nitro cold brews, lattes,
chai, smoothies, pastries, and other offerings and we were all engaged in
conversation with each other. I had
great chats with Eric & Katie, April & Nick, Jim, Sue, Lexie, & Kailyne.
Neighbors continued arriving and hung around to converse.
If asked to characterize the atmosphere,
I would use these words: excitement,
anticipatory, connection, renewal, comfort, an “ease”, conversational, a warm
vibe, who will come in next, a buzz, success, accomplishment, fulfillment. I
was filled up with a desire to share all of this so that others could experience
it as well. It felt like home. It felt right.
I have returned to Sharla’s every
day they have been open. Sometimes it’s
to have coffee and other times it’s just to pop my head in and say “hi” to Dave
as I go by on my morning walk. My Bible study group is now meeting there every
Wednesday morning at 6:30. I continue to encounter neighbors with whom I haven’t
had the opportunity to chat for longer than I can remember. I was able to catch up with Bruce & Judy. I got to spend time with Bill and Ethel. I run into Anissa on occasion. My grandson,
Ivan, has discovered Dave’s healthy smoothies. Ryan & Jessica were taking a
break just a short walk from their School District offices. Sally and her friends were having a great
catch-up conversation. All this, a mere 250 steps from the end of my driveway.
From my front window, I can survey
much of the neighborhood. There’s the Goodrich Hall Airbnb, Milton College
Preservation Society’s Headquarters and Main Hall Museum, CrossFit, a
Photography studio, and now Sharla’s. I
see vibrancy, I see initiative. Author and Columnist,
Jenny Anderson, has said, “Communities (neighborhoods) are built,
like Legos, one brick at a time. There is no hack.” The Historic Milton College Neighborhood is
interlocked.
Jon Cruzan
#cruzan4milton#WEAREMILTON
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