Cants Can Do at Starbucks

One morning recently, I ran out of clean laundry, so I grabbed a pair of beige pants from the monastery’s clothes exchange and thrift shop, named Aunt Laura’s. They fit perfectly, except for one slight problem: they were what we used to call “high waters.” They weren’t short enough to be capris or long enough to be pants. There was no time to hem or take out the hem, so I decided just to go ahead and wear them to work. They were so comfortable, how could I not?

Being self-conscious of my “high waters” and lack of style around the young adults at Starbucks, I mentioned my “high waters” to a fellow barista. She told me, “Sister Trish, we will call them ‘cants,’ a new style. We’ll take the ‘c’ from capris and put it on the ‘ants’ of pants to make cants." We both loved the new style and proudly displayed to my fellow workers my stylish cants. Now I come to work proud of wearing my cants or, if I don’t, the other baristas ask me, “Where are the cants?”

Hmm… dirty in the laundry basket... I’ll have to go with pants or capris today.

You know you are part of a family and community when the marginal, different members or pieces of clothing all fit in and are welcomed and honored. Starbucks understands the Rule of St. Benedict— all are to be received as Christ. How interesting that the Rule is experienced in so many different shapes and forms, both in my monastic community and with my fellow baristas at Starbucks!

submitted by Trish Dick, OSB

for link to original photo, click here.