An Accidental Coffee with Shawn Mendes
As printed in My Village News December 2019
I found myself sitting in The Callie Hotel Lobby Bar recently using it as an in-between work zone when I was paralysed by the arrival of someone important. I had no idea who he was but could tell from his swagger, the guitar case he lay casually at his feet and his rounded American-sounding accent that he was probably a well known singer.
I guessed he wasn’t more than 25 years old as he tussled his wavy brown hair and slumped into the chair right beside me, his assertive bodyguard promptly rustling up his long black coffee.
The man then quickly reached for his headphones and phone to begin a completely uninhibited FaceTime conversation with his girlfriend covering how he’d have to match in with her clothes at a red carpet event and how he was surprising his mum for her birthday. When he mentioned he couldn’t wait to get back to Los Angeles, saying, “I’m going to go all Cardi B and get a Lamborghini.” I felt a pang, stopped my rude eavesdropping and split off into a daydream.
With a slack jaw I imagined the extravagant lifestyle of this barely out of high school singer, travelling in private jets across the world, staying in the best accommodation, sleeping in, ordering room service and not having any responsibilities.
No responsibilities. That’s what I envied most peering through the window into his life. As a new mum the ghost of parental responsibility haunts me. From adults only lunches, to dinners and movie dates, I now feel compelled to keep my phone where I can see it in case I get a snap back to my toddler’s reality.
After a bit of digging I discovered who the man was, Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes. He’s a big deal to anyone younger than me and with around 54 million followers on Instagram plus the fact he’s dating an equally well known singer-actress named Camila Cabello, I’ll bet he’s actually got a whole set of other responsibilities I’m glad not to share.
So Merry Christmas dear readers, may you be happy with your lot this season.
