"Am I the only one?" That question sent Lee Warren on a pilgrimage in which he visited thirty coffee shops in Omaha, Nebraska. This collection of heartfelt insights about love, loss, loneliness, and the deep need for connection is the result. He ended up spending $136.42 on coffee and a few donuts, but it was a small price to pay for the commonality he felt between the patrons, baristas, and himself. And standing on common ground gave him strength in the most unexpected of ways. Maybe it will do the same for you.

Our first loves, first experiences, and first favorites are sacred grounds.

They shape us in ways our second loves, second experiences, and second favorites do not, and cannot. We go into firsts with our eyes shut, without any reservation, because we don't know any better, and our firsts become the measuring stick for every love, experience, and favorite afterward-when our eyes are fully open and we are more cautious.

If you enjoyed author Lee Warren's book of coffee shop essays, "Common Grounds: Contemplations, Confessions, and (Unexpected) Connections from the Coffee...