Blackbird Diaries: Finn’s Southwest Florida Edition

Nat-Finn-Southwest-FloridaEven in the worst of times when the world feels like Barry McGuire’s Eve of Destruction, there is still a peaceful hum that coconut telegraphs along the palm trees and out to the horizons down here in Southwest Florida. As Amos Lee would sing,

“Windows are rolled down. Moon is hanging low”.

The soft gulf breeze is drinking in the last of daylight at this moment.

And everything’s all right

But as much as Ft. Myers has been my family’s winter home and as wonderful as it is to hear the OldOld Man’s car doors shutting outside signaling that my aunt & uncle made it in from Bakersfield, there’s a part of my heart that still sits back home in the soon-to-be-snowed-upon agrarian oasis of Valparaiso, wishing upon wishes it was back in that little one-in-a-million hole-in-the-side-of-heaven on the south side of Lincolnway between Franklin St. & Michigan Avenue.

It’s in that little nook where my spirit is having iced tea and “something lunchy,” - whatever Kara decided - as Katie crafts up something beautiful that will test our creativity and passions. It’s listening to whatever wonderful rare classic soul songs Emily pipes through the patchwork stereo system - if it ain’t Amos Lee. It’s watching Justin & Alex 2 (who has by now earned the nickname of the original Alex!) navigating back and forth between the eclectic, inspiring patrons who are as much a part of the place as the rustic wood floors, high ceilings, soft lighting, and random acts of classic literature & philosophical works that adorn the shelf along the exposed brick wall opposite the glass counter which addresses all the home-cooked delicacies everyone wishes they had time in their busy lives to bake. It’s also hoping that a fretting Caressa asks me whether or not a specific buddy of mine will be in soon, knowing that in the end those two love the banter. As Amos Lee would sing:

We all need a place so we can go / And feel over the rainbow.

Blackbird Cafe has been this place for me

It was a place where we started meeting a couple Project 03 partners back in Fall of 2011. I was a little taken aback because there was no Gumballhead in the place and too bent up in anxiety to argue. But over time the place grew on me. Blackbird Cafe became the place where BakedFinn met their first test clients. It’s where we discovered our mistakes, fine-tuned our offerings and discovered our identity. It became our office. It became our project room. It doubled as our kitchen, having the best breakfast, lunch and dinner - sometimes all three meals in the same day. It got to the point where I could say, “something lunchy,” and held to the whimsy of their creations. And, wow, are they good. Healthy, satisfying, nourishing, creative. And I was freed up to keep on point. As Amos Lee would sing:

Shakin' religions and makin' decisions / You never get to slow on down

And for me, personally

Blackbird was the place in the spring where Caressa and the aforementioned specific buddy fought over how to ghost text to the girl of my dreams as that relationship was taking on water and sinking fast. By grace, soon after it was the place where I took the girl I never would have had the courage to dream of in order to see if she liked the place because if she liked it, she might like me. And she fell in love with the place, too. As Amos Lee would sing,

Nobody told me that living was easy / I ain’t living in fear anymore

I don’t know where we’d be without the place

Bake & I talk about never having an office for ourselves or for our budding team. Him and I spent too many years in an office. And it was a great office. The best of offices: 12 foot ceilings, open space concept, work islands, walls wrapped in glass with views that went from the Valparaiso University Chapel to the Wanatah cornfields, & up and down IN 49. The office had multiple floors, open air atrium with skylights, and an open knoll with a gazebo, stocked fishing pond...and over 100 friends came and went through those front doors.

But every office gets stagnant over time

And we’re afraid of that. But at Blackbird, the audience is so diverse that it always feels like a new place because each day has new energy.

And it keeps us coming back for more

As Amos Lee would sing:

It's just these simple things / keep me holding on

As I was finishing this overture...

...something wonderful happened: the cafe must have known I was thinking about them because they just put on Facebook...

“Finn we miss you! Are you ok?”

They didn’t even tag me on the quote. They didn’t have to. Friends jumped in to let them know that I’m fine down here in SWFL, though I’m missing them every day.

If you’re looking for this kind of place to work, commune, share ideas, get inspired...come on out. The more the merrier! The cafe will continue to grow our community more than the combination of next three networking groups that spring up in 2013 or any of the proposed convention centers because the cafe is, to paraphrase ValpoLife, where food and people connect. Blackbird Cafe had me at the first iced tea.

As Amos Lee would sing

I don't need no reason / it's just so pleasin' / and i can't stop.

PS - the Amos Lee was for Mary! I hope you enjoy!

I’ll be back soon!