Feelings Towards Coffee

I like coffee more than I like you. Just kidding; I think… To be completely honest, I’m sort of in love with coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I like you, I do. You’re great! And I’m sure, that given the opportunity, I could learn to love you too… if you were coffee that is. Bah! I’m hurting your feelings, I can tell. I’m sorry. But you have to understand, what it’s like. When the skies grow dark, and the world lies cold, there will still be coffee. And if there isn’t, well then, there really isn’t much else left now is there?  

 I love the color of coffee. It even looks warm. From the bitter black, to the heavily creamed tan it’s inviting. I love the smell. Waking up to it, the morning seems gentler, walking into a coffee shop, it’s like an aromatic hug. It says, your spirit can rest here for a minute.  The sound of it, the language the goes along with it, I love. Professional coffee drinkers flirt with the ranks of the multilingual. You have to know your stuff to get your stuff, and everyone in line behind you knows that even if you don’t. As for taste, I believe it is deliciously acquired. There can be such a range and complexity to it, that it can comfortably reflect the equally distinct personalities of the consumers themselves. And let’s not neglect the containers. Is it a mug, a thermos, a paper cup? Did you brew this delicacy on your own or did you go somewhere to get it? Local or chain? Size? The list goes on. Suffice it to say, I’m a fan.

Surrounding all of this though, there is a particular love affair I share with the second sip. I will tell you why.  The first sip is really good, it awakens your brain to the fact that something good has arrived. That things are about to begin, and you are indeed very lucky. Along with this however, there is climate control. I do not possess a tendency towards patience, and this almost always leads me to drink coffee immediately after having gained access to it. My tongue, my lips, all is pain. That strange sensation you have for a few days after burning your tongue? Yeah, I get that a lot.

 Even in the summer, when iced coffee is the thing at hand, it might be unexpectedly cold. How much ice is involved? Is the consistency different, more or less watery? How hot is the day around you in comparison? All of this taken into account, the first sip is great, but it’s truly a scientific experience. You are internalizing various factors, and preparing yourself to embark on a journey that is unique to each individual cup.

But ahh, the second sip. That is where it comes together. Instead of being surprised by temperature, taste, consistency, blend, roast, no. Now-you can enjoy it. You can relax and melt into it for the first time. The very fact that you’re onto a second sip means that 1) you weren’t just sampling someone else’s and 2) that it is very much drinkable. There’s definitely some security in that. It is no longer you against the day in isolation. No sir. It is you with coffee, and coffee is like the ultimate portable superhero in a cup. You can do anything.

We have reached the third sip. While this one, and all the others that follow it, are absolutely wonderful, they have reached comfort level. You already know what’s coming, and are just enjoying the ride.  From now on, the attributes of the coffee will remain mostly stable. No further tasting of this cup will fully capture the beauty of that second sip.

I read one of those Ramona books when I was little. In it, the main character, a little girl, is caught eating a rather large supply of apples. Only she’s not eating the whole thing, she’s only taking one bite out of each one. Confused, her mother asked her what she was doing. She responded that the first bite tasted the best. Therefore, she went from apple to apple, taking first bite after first bite, confident she was only tasting the very best part. I feel like my coffee theory is similar. It’s hard not to want to have the perfect sip over and over again. It is true though that I do get my fair share of them. Being a caffeine addict has its perks, including coffee on a continual basis.

I know that addiction is bad. But love is good. So I feel like the two cancel each other out, with love remaining in the game long enough to win it. With that logic backing me up, I figure I’m in the clear. Besides, there’s no point in arguing against a love this vast. I’m already in too deep.