Goodbye Letter

As many of you have heard by now, I’m leaving DC after almost exactly four years for Hartford, CT at the end of this month.

It feels silly to write something like this, in no small part for fear of being this guy, which, jeez, The Onion never misses. But the fact is, so many of you have expressed genuine shock/dismay/excitement/dismay again, in that order, that I feel like I shouldn’t just sneak away. A (downright shocking) number of you have given me your business cards and asked for my email in return, so that we can keep up. I’ve been asked where I can be found on facebook for the same reason. I’ve even been offered a letter of recommendation, should I ever need it. Each of these conversations has come with a hug or a handshake, and some truly sincere best-wishes.

This job is what it is, but Modern Times itself is a special place. I suppose we all know the names of our long-time mechanics, bartenders, doormen, etc., but in so many cases, you’ve also told me your childrens’ names, where you work, what your musical tastes are, what you like to read, where you’ve been on vacation and so on and so on. I see many of you five or six times a week. I consider many of you an extension of my co-worker family, and I’ll miss you. Thank you for being so outgoing, helpful, patient, and generous in my time here.

So, in parting, my hope is that you’ll continue to frequent our little cafe. If you’re the type to read all the way through something like this, do me one last favor: write to the ownership of Politics and Prose and tell them how much Modern Times means to you; write Javier and tell him that you appreciate his vision and effort and dedication to this place; go to our Yelp page (currently the stomping grounds primarily of trolls and grumps) and give us a review. Javier has been an incredible owner to work for, and he and Anna are building something really special out in Takoma Park. I know that many of you have donated money to them already, even though, as a regular of MTC, you probably won’t be out there much. I hope that you’ll continue to support them.

If you’re really so inclined, I can be found on facebook or you can send an email to james@moderntimescoffeehouse.com and I’ll get back to you with my personal address.

Thanks for everything, good luck with all the rest.

James Bress