Care for a Cup?

“I would rather suffer with coffee than be senseless.”

~ Napoleon Bonaparte

Why do I love coffee? What is in that cup I find so irresistible? Is it the aroma? Is it the smooth, warm piquant acidity that rolls on your tongue as you sip? Or is it the mocha infusion that plays on your palette or the white soft cream? or...

“Tall Cafe Misto!”, called the barista, a welcome interruption to my thoughts. I picked up my cup from the counter and retreated to a quiet, solitary spot in the cafe. As I took my first sip, I realize it’s not the aroma or the taste that draws me to it. Yeah, the coffee I’m enjoying at the moment is a fine cup but I know instant coffee can satisfy my espresso craving just as well. Heck, even coffee flavored candy does it for me in the absence of the real thing. 

Or maybe it’s the winter chill outside that makes me crave for a hot drink. Nope, that can’t be it. I have the same degree of craving for it during hot Cincinnati summers.   

I guess what amazes me about it is its ability to bring people together.  How many times have I heard people say “let’s talk about it over coffee”? A lot of people prefer to talk about important, and not so important matters over coffee. I notice that, despite its high caffeine content, people tend to be more relaxed and talk more sincerely over it. Differences are forgotten, eccentricities go unnoticed when people gather around a coffee table.

Coffee has this universal appeal as a conversation drink. Kinda like beer without the need to acquire the taste and the need to worry if you’ve made a fool of yourself in front of your friends the day after.

As I enjoy my coffee by my lonesome self, I am reminded of the happy conversations I’ve had while enjoying a cup with my wife, my close friends and my 3-year old daughter (yes, I bring her frequently to a local coffee shop. Don’t worry, she only orders chocolate milk). With every sip I am transported to a coffee table in the past, surrounded by stories and laughter. Never fails to make me smile. Happy times.

Until the next cup!