I have spent many hours in various Starbucks.  My favorites are in Manhattan, Charlottesville, VA, and yes, here in Austin.  

For those of you old enough to remember the TV show Get Smart, you will recall the infamous “cone of silence.”  Instead of keeping those on the outside from hearing top secrets, it was those on the inside who could not hear each other!  

I have found too many folks in Starbucks acting as if their conversations could not be heard.  Over the years, I have heard couples discussing delicate details of their relationship, questionable business practices, and I recently had someone drop some F-bombs on me when I disagreed with their understanding of the New Testament.

Third places like Starbucks are wonderful, but let’s remember that other people are there!