Only Connect

In less than 12 hours from now, I'm supposed to meet a local blogger in person.

At about one o'clock this afternoon, I'll be at Coupa Cafe, a few blocks away from Stanford University campus, sipping a frothy cup of Latte. I might be too distracted to fully appreciate the handpicked, sun-dried Arabica beans from Venezuela the cafe is known for. I'll be anxiously scanning the horizon for a familiar face, which I've only seen in photographs.

There's a chance that I might recognize her from her shoes. Her burgandy wingtips, brocade pumps, and kneehigh boots are a regular feature in her posts. I've come to know a number of them quite well; I might be able to spot them from a distance.

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, she volunteered to sit in a dunk tank and let her students throw softballs at her. Apparently, one of the little rascals had good aim. She posted a picture of herself, emerging from the tank, drenched from her hair to her socks. The smile on her face convinced me she subjected herself to this treatment more for her own amusement than the kids'.

"Only connect," urged one of E. M. Forster's characters in Howards End.

I believe most of us blog to connect, to share our innermost thoughts with the kindred spirits who, through accidents of birth and circumstances, happen to live thousands of miles away. I have the good fortune to live less than 100 miles from a blogger whose words and character I admire. I should meet her, I thought to myself.

So I sent her a message. A few subsequent emails later, we've nailed down the time and the rendezvous point.

Now, at 3 AM in the morning, while checking Caltrain timetables and station locations online, I discovered one major flaw in my proposed plan:

There are two Coupa Cafes in the neighborhood we'd agreed to meet.

I just sent her an email directing her to the one where I'm planning to wait for her. I hope she gets it in time. Otherwise, come tomorrow afternoon, I'll be looking for a way to drown myself in a dunk tank filled with Venezuela coffee.

[Update: I had to spent about 50 nervous minutes on my own, wondering if she'd ever show up, but the good news is, we did meet. We had a delightful afternoon strolling in the nearby university campus. As to the account of this afternoon, we agreed to cross-blog for each other: she'll write a post for my blog; I'll write one for hers. Stay tuned!]

(Image copyrighted by Driscoll Label Co.)