I know. It sounds contradictory. But I have a perfectly good reason for this response. Ready? Here goes.

I’d love to be a barista.

But I wouldn’t want to be a barista full time. Not because I feel I’m above it or because I think I’d be bad at it.

But because I know I’d be amazing at it and wouldn’t make nearly what I’d be worth.

Drink making is an art… that’s why bartending school is a thing. And did you know that there’s actually barista training available? Like, college… but for baristas? I’ve thought many a time about signing up and attending but chickened out because I know that baristas don’t make a fraction of what they’re worth, so I’d likely never make that money back. More debt for a dead end job. Yes, it’s an amazing job to be in, but it’s so underappreciated. And even more underpaid.

The sheer amount of skill. The thoughtfulness. The speed. The nimbleness. The keen sense of smell and taste. Soooo many characteristics come into play when describing a fantastic barista. And I mean it, y’all, baristas are artists.

But beyond being artists, baristas are rays of sunshine. They see people at their worst in the mornings — they interact with groggy, cranky, sleepyheads and provide them with their much-needed morning cup of ambition. These blessings help wake the cities up, giving the worker bees a hot (or iced) cup of coffee made EXACTLY to spec (in most cases) and quickly!

Like, think about how crowded these coffee shops are, and how quickly they manage to work through the long lines of people day after day. Specially crafting drinks to each individual’s taste buds. Making suggestions when we don’t have a clue what we want. Offering ideas for yummy vittles to pair with our crack — I mean coffee.

And don’t even get me started on the intricacies of the coffee bean. I’ve been on an ADHD-fueled dive in to the coffee world recently and have been learning about all of the different roasts. I already knew about the basics: blonde, light, medium, dark. But each roast has a subcategory of roasts: cinnamon, city, French, Italian, and so many more. I’m not a barista so I’m not about to school you, but just know that there’s a lot more to coffee than the average person may know. And you can’t really find these specialty roasts in stores so where do you go? The coffee shop. And who prepares them perfectly for you (almost) each and every time? Baristas.

And you know what else these God-sent individuals do? They make crafted drinks! So if you’re not a coffee drinker, you still wanna have a barista make you something because they have the flavor profile game on lock! Just how much lemon to mix into a cup of tea to heighten but not overpower the tea flavor. Just how much sugar to add in a fruit-based drink. The proper way to muddle fruits. What types of tea work best with different flavor profiles. Again, these folks are artists. No — they’re… scient-artists? Art-ientists? You get the point. They’re professionals.

If I were a barista, I wouldn’t want to work in a Starbucks. I have absolutely nothing against Starbies — they’re my go-to because I have social anxiety and don’t like going into crowded places, so I know I can go through their drive-thru and be fine. Starbies will always have a special place in my heart. But I’d never want to work there as a barista. I’d much rather work in a smaller coffee shop where more focus is put on the coffee itself, rather than the gimmicks and money.

When I think about smaller coffee shops, I think about the community. Regulars. Building connections. Chatting with people. And I know I just said I have social anxiety, but that’s around new people. I worked in a small town fast food restaurant while I was in college and my favorite part was actually interacting with the customers. I guess because I have a responsibility to solely focus on the customer and their requests in a given moment. Nothing else matters until my customer is taken care of.

But experiencing a restaurant as a customer feels like I’m constantly having to interact with all of the people around me in some way — dodging them, encountering other customers with the same name, staying out of everyone’s way, and don’t get me started on the awkward small talk.

In short, being a customer in a restaurant is overstimulating. Being a worker is stressful, but engaging and fun.

And while I’m certain that being a barista is stressful and overwhelming, I’m equally as certain that it’s a position I’d handle well.

I have ADHD, so I’m used to chaos. My brain is chaos. My life is chaos. My brain almost craves chaos. When it’s too quiet, I’m immediately searching around for something to do. Some way to engage me. Some way to make me feel something. Fast-paced work is perfect for me.

And having a child and husband with autism has taught me to be more proactive when it comes to the needs of others. I’ve always been a server at heart, but that impulse has become even more prevalent since learning about our family’s collective neurodivergence. So I know that customer service is something I excel at. I was even a manager of customer service for a while. People loved me. And I had the opportunity to train others on providing excellent service. I loved my job. And I was great at it.

Coincidentally, I’m also great at making drinks.

When I was in college, I was the dedicated drink maker. I could make drinks that could get people wasted but sneak up on ’em. Mine were always a slow burn. I just had the mixes together. I dunno, I was good at it. And it carried into my adulthood. I actually dream of having a drink station in my kitchen that would be stocked with various syrups, mixers, bases, teas, coffee roasts, creams, and even the nice chewy ice. You know, the good ice.

Anyhoot, I’ve been dreaming of being a barista for a while now.

So I guess I shouldn’t say I hope I never become a barista because honestly, it’s on my bucket list. I just hope that I can be a barista and be financially stable. And I don’t think I’m asking too much. But I’m also aware that companies paying actual livable wages to service workers is an uphill battle.

The day that happens will likely be the day pigs find some wings and fly off somewhere.

But in the mean time — thank you to all of the baristas out there. I see y’all and I appreciate everything you guys do. May thine tip jars runneth over. Or better yet, may y’all make a comfortable wage without having to rely on tips!

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About the Author

Alexandra is the founder of the ‘Tism Things platform and owner of online business The Shop by ‘Tism Things. A proud stay-at-home wife and mama to two amazing, smart, and empowered littles, Alexandra frequently spends her time learning about autism and ADHD, its effects on families and caregivers, and ways to support individuals with either or both conditions. Driven by her son and husband’s autism and ADHD diagnoses, Alexandra prides herself on employing creative methods to adapt her household into one that welcomes people of all neurological types, aiming to foster a sense of inclusivity, understanding and acceptance among anyone’s path she crosses.

When she’s not in a ’tism rabbit hole on the internet or playing with her babies, she’s likely out shopping, cooking something yummy, helping out her grandparents, or out in the garden trying to keep her plants alive in this Georgia heat. Honestly, probably that last one.

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