Coffee: Delicious Beverage or Key to Understanding the World?

I have to go to work. This simple phrase: I have heard and said myself on numerous occasions, most times in a less than positive manner. Many of you can relate to this as you have worked in various jobs while being an undergraduate student. Do not get me wrong, my first job, I was incredibly grateful for as it allowed me to save up for a car and be able to believe that I was somehow stepping one foot into the adult world while still being a teenager. But it still was a job. My first job also provided me with countless lessons that have shaped my perspective, something I certainly did not expect. I now see the type of establishment as well as the community of people involved differently. Is it fair to assume that students expect when they are going to receive lessons? In educational institutions, lessons are a given, and for some people, this trend continues in their home life. However, the one place I did not expect to receive insight to shape the way I look at the world was while serving coffee and rearranging donuts at two in the afternoon. 

The epiphany

One impactful observation I made working as a barista is how dependent people are on their routine. I, in the past, have shrugged off this idea until I have found myself anxious and uncertain about my next move when my routine is interrupted and subsequently thrown off course. Coffee I’ve seen has become a necessity and a staple of morning culture. Sure, people have come accustomed to the taste of their favorite roasts (myself included) and have developed their drinking habits as far down to how many creams, sugars, flavoring they want in their coffee and how much they wish to drink. I ask you to put aside the fact that there may be other reasons for consuming coffee at any point in the day because of preference or caffeine content and contemplate the process involved in consuming coffee and its relation to life. Every day, most people wake up, get ready, drink coffee or morning tea, eat breakfast, pack their belongings, and head out the door. Most of us generally do these things in a specific order and do them regularly. We avoid missing a day unless some extenuating circumstance prevents us from doing so. What does this mean?

The proof is in the coffee grounds

I was at the donut case, restocking when a group of older individuals made their way into the establishment. I thought nothing of it, besides guessing I would most likely need to make whatever they chose to order. I proceeded through the motions that day and then never looked at this instance the same way. That was because this occurrence was not some random trip out for coffee, but this was an instance where I saw life actively being shaped by coffee. At two pm every day, a group of older individuals came in. The first man ordered a small, hot, senior coffee with two creams: the standard. The next in line was always a sweet couple, and he would usually place the order for the both of them. He would order one medium hot coffee, black, with two creams on the side and double cupped (so that they could share). They all sat down at the same table each day, ordered the same thing, of course, unless there was some reason outside their control that prohibited them from doing so. I thought this was miraculous. Before this revelation, I believed that the coffee I produced had no meaning, but I discovered that this assumption was false. I wondered what would happen if coffee ceased to exist.

Coffee culture

Before all you coffee drinkers get in a tizzy, I understand that people enjoy coffee for plenty of reasons. That said, my purpose is to prompt an exploration if perhaps there is more to this habitual action of drinking coffee. Can you recall the first time you ever had coffee? Interestingly, in asking those around me this question, they indicated it was a moment during childhood. I proceeded to ask more questions to get to the bottom of why they did it. The answer I found to be particularly insightful. The individual said that they saw their parents drinking it and wanted to try it. I asked them if they felt like they were entering adulthood at that moment. He thought about it briefly and responded by commenting: “Well, I think most children believe that.” For a brief moment, I envisioned my earliest memories of drinking coffee. In retrospect, my family had valid reasons for not letting me consume it as a child. However, one afternoon I was hanging out with my aunt, and a marvelous thing happened: she let me try her coffee. I remembered feeling rebellious because I was not allowed to have it at home. I recalled vividly how delicious the dark chocolate raspberry creamer was. I also felt special because I was doing something that she was taking part in regularly, which made me feel close to her. 

Final thoughts

Regarding my personal experience, I recognized early in life that consuming coffee was a norm for the people around me. That perspective has since enlightened me with my work in a coffee-infused industry. The experiences have allowed me to see coffee as a mechanism that brings people together in numerous ways. I see coffee as a platform to launch dates off of, a way to start the day, and a means to reinforce tradition that shapes our lives and the lives of people around us. That said, I ask you to consider the next cup of coffee you drink and take a moment, and consider its value in your life. Maybe you’ll still see this only as a beverage, but perhaps you’ll find meaning in it as I did. 

Image obtained from Squarespace