Meditations in an Emergency

Meditations in an Emergency

Being a regular

When the bartenders know your face

Rosecrans Baldwin's avatar
Rosecrans Baldwin
Jan 17, 2026
∙ Paid
“Frenchie’s Bar” (1940), Marion Post Wolcott

The room is packed, every booth, every seat. It’s Saturday evening—what did I expect? But the hostess recognizes me, and when a couple stands from a coveted front table, she gives me the look.

I haven’t been a regular for some time. I prepare my own coffee, I cook my own meals—I’m not in coffeeshops or restaur…

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