Biking Through Austin: Croaking and Coffee
"Finding beauty in a broken world is creating beauty in the world we find" - Terry Williams (or someone, I gave up on the accuracy of who said what these days)
Here’s the continuation from the other day of things I saw while biking through Austin, Texas.
As I was riding through Austin, it’s interesting how you can go from extremely wooded areas that feel like pure countryside to urban development in just a short distance. This mix of urban and natural landscapes often leaves our wildlife habitats confused. Frogs, turtles, coyotes, snakes, and birds have to give way to the high-rise apartments built by greedy developers who want to cover every patch of grass. This displacement forces animals into roads and human traffic, where they often get harmed.
I've seen this since I was a kid, and it’s always heartbreaking to see animals suffer due to development. It sucks to live in a world where money succeeds truth and benevolence.
While riding, I noticed a little bullfrog that had been run over. Strangely or perhaps coincidentally, a flower was lying on him. He had, of course, croaked by this time. I paused for a moment, looking at the scene, and imagined a little frog funeral where his frog friends or relatives had placed a flower on him. So, here’s my interpretation of the bullfrog, depicted in the picture below.
Also, while biking, one of my favorite things is coffee. I mean, who doesn’t like coffee? Coffee culture has been around for quite some time now, though it wasn't as prevalent when I was a kid (mainly just dark brown sludge from a heated tin can).
And so, I found there's no end to coffee shops here in Austin. We have great ones, some with health ratings of zero, and others that are just amazing. Most of them are like A+++. God, I love it.
I discovered a coffee shop called Pershing's, tucked away in East Austin. My friend Nick manages it, and it’s an extremely cool little spot. I went in and told the person at the counter I wanted a shot of espresso with some milk, but I didn’t know the correct term. She suggested a cortado, and I thought, why not?
She put in the order, and the barista started making it. The barista took great care in crafting this cortado. It was amazing to watch him. I’ve never seen someone put so much effort into making a simple coffee. When he handed it to me, it had a beautiful little heart in the foam. I know people do latte art all the time, but I’d never had a heart in my coffee before.
I tried it and loved it. Since then, I’ve tried other cortados at different places, but none compare to how well this barista did it. I wish I knew his name, but to Mr. Barista who made my coffee, this is my interpretation of you, and I hope you enjoy it.
I like documenting ordinary things and showing the beauty in them. My emotional side is tied to my art, so I try to reframe things in a better way. I’m not about toxic positivity. I already have enough bad news thrown at me—whether it’s politicians or global issues, it’s overwhelming.
To give myself a break, I’m trying to change my perspective and see things in a more beautiful light rather than a destitute one. This isn’t about giving value judgments, but about reframing my view.
So, as I wrap up this post, if you liked it, of course, I'll take your like, your follow, or your DM. I'm happy to receive those, but only if you want to. I do care, but only if it makes you happy or gives you a moment of human connection throughout your day.
This story makes me want to ask for a cortado now.