Written by Dusty Collins Wednesday, 10 June 2009 20:13

I had a great time! A few friends and I took off Thursday night for our first Cyber Café experience. Sure I had been there before... Once. It was a hot day. I would say summer day, but the weather around here hasn't necessarily been summer like. Any who, I was coming back from Rec Park after just hanging out, catching some sun. Of course, I was on my bike. And as I rolled past the Cyber Café, it hit me. A friend from high school worked there. So I stopped in. It was a quick stop. More of a pit stop than a chance to take in the atmosphere. I was only there for a drink and the use of the facility. I walked in, ordered a pint of exotic beer, and out the back door I went. The time it took to throw back a pint was spent on the back porch. It's peaceful and nicely paved with field stones. The peacefulness comes from the brook and waterfall in which the seating area encases.
But Thursday was different!

We walked in the front door and the place was crowded. What seemed to be a concert was happening in the background. After a few minutes I managed to find an open area to stand. From there I could see only half the stage. Of course it was the half in which nothing was happening. Perched on the stage in front of what looked to me to be an orchestra, was a woman playing a keyboard. This woman was not conducting an orchestra, a good thing considering all the instruments were un-manned or un-‘womanned‘, rather entertaining a room full of people. The room was actually overfilled, considering I was standing off to the side. Toward the center of the room was a few couples battling for their stage presence. Not battling in the effect of combat, but struggling for attention, in hope that some of the patrons acknowledge and respect their passion for ‘swing' dancing. It was not the music or the dancing that appealed to me.

The real reason for this article... The people! While standing there enjoying the music and wondering if I could ever coordinate my body and feet to do the things I was seeing, I realized how nice the people were. Not the normal "Hi how are ya?" kind of people. I noticed that most every person looked me straight in eye as they passed. Some said hello or gave a cheerful nod. However, a good share of the passers-by just looked me straight in the eye, and just smiled. This is what I mean by nice. Everyone was laughing, singing, and dancing. The spirits were high, it was exciting. To be surrounded in people enjoying themselves will really make you feel nice.