Story Time: Coffeehouse

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December 9, 2021

The stage was set. The acts were ready. The decorations had been painted and placed. The crowd awaited a fun and festive show. Upcoming finals were forgotten as students found their seats for Christmas Coffeehouse: 25 Days of Christmas.  

One performer had been ready for years. She spent weeks learning choreography, days anticipating the performance, and hours getting ready. Her act ran through sound check then ran around the Vines Center taking pictures at the different Christmas scenes. She was trying to soak everything in before the show began.

Eventually the show started. She watched each performance in awe of the student talent. She knew she was one of those students, but still was wowed by the other acts. Her time to perform came and went, and the rest of the show flew by. To her, Coffeehouse was about performing.

In those first few moments when the lights came up and the host appeared, she forgot the noise of the crowd and the nervous excitement of her own mind. She listened to the introduction, laughed at the jokes, and thought, “Now THAT would be a fun job.”

Christmas Coffeehouse 2019 was a night to remember. Preparations for Spring 2020 were cut short as the rest of the world came to a halt. With her time as an act being over and Christmas Coffeehouse: Winter Wonderland being virtual, she thought she would never again get to feel the thrill of being with the Coffeehouse crowd. She felt lost.

Luckily the next year came with new beginnings, as is true with most things. Although at limited capacity, Coffeehouse was back in person! And she was part of it! In a different way than she ever imagined – now a behind the scenes role – but still ecstatic to be involved.

The painting, planning, and pre-show setup were just as exciting as anything else. Coffeehouse: The Late Show was everything she wanted it to be and more. Her new neon shirt and position on the team gave new meaning to the event, and it was just as special. She saw all the students experience the same magic that she had at her very first show. She witnessed her coworkers get groovy while guarding the gates. This time, Coffeehouse was about the people.

Now she experienced the show in yet another way at Christmas Coffeehouse: Merry & Bright. This time was even more exciting than the last, and just as satisfying. She looked in the mirror, took a deep breath, and grabbed her cards before walking to the wings.

With a microphone in hand, she took the stage once again. This time, with her biggest task yet: host. Waiting for the lights to come up, she took one steadying inhale and thought back to her first time on this stage. With the exhale, she released any worries and placed the show in the hands of the crowd. The night ended in success and joy for everyone. Now, she knew Coffeehouse was about purpose.

Moments like these are a “blink and you miss it” type of memory. Full-circle stories are always beautiful journeys, and this one is mine. There are many roles to play in life. We don’t always get cast in the one we want or expect, but it is up to us to make it count. There will always be times when there does not seem to be a point to all the lows, but if you persevere long enough, you will reach the highs. Things always have a way of working out exactly how they’re supposed to in the end.

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