The first sip. When it’s too hot so you take a scared sip, or when it’s too cold and you’re sad it’s not hot enough. Unless you’re an iced coffee person—you hope the ice doesn’t water it down too much. This first sip is like adding oil to gears.
Perhaps it’s merely a beverage or perhaps it’s a curated culture, maybe an aesthetic lifestyle. It can be the certified “beginning” of many things, whether it be our day or perhaps a friendship. We can craft it at home or we can enjoy it out. There’s so many different tangible choices for coffee and it takes on a multitude of different sizes and shapes all over the world. Venti, large, trenta, demitasse (French for espresso), grande, small, tall, short etc.. not to mention the plethora of styles, tastes and names it takes on to curate different feelings and emotions for whomever consumes it.
But in the end it’s all the same. I asked my patient today if he is a coffee person. He explained to me that for him coffee is like a warm hug from an old friend and more so a comfort or a companion. This is opposed to a necessity or requirement for the day ahead, which is what most of us think of when we picture an 8 oz dark roast at 7am.
When my patient painted me this picture, I suddenly felt myself smile automatically in agreement, like my body immediately understood what he meant. It’s because I, too, see coffee as a friend. We make it, sip it, take pictures of it, hold it, love it and hang out with it everyday. Quite similar to that of a good friend (minus the sipping part).
When I take a sip of hot coffee, it’s not really a big “Oh thank God I finally have my coffee to wake me up and make me functional today” type of feeling. It’s more of a “I’m so glad I have hot coffee to lean on this morning as I wake up.” Taking moments to sip my coffee is also seemingly an excusable break from things. When I take a few seconds to sip my regular drip coffee with cream and simple syrup, everyone understands, like an unspoken language between people. It seems to announce this simple truth: that I require a millisecond to myself for a breath and a sip of my comfort coffee to make the next few seconds (and the rest of my day) better than the last. Everyone catches on and no one complains.
This dance is a part of our coffee culture. It’s a common ground where the world can be on the same page. We all get something special from it and it doesn’t take anything from us (except our money), so we love it. In my opinion, it’s the most understood concept of modern society. More understood than politics, economics, or the environment and even love. The idea of sipping coffee at a cafe or on the couch has the same meaning for everyone. Comfort and peace. Even if only for a moment.
The next time you order that complex coffee drink or use your French press at home for the 107th time, stop and give it an extra thought– is this a quick caffeine fix? A warm comfort disguised as one? Perhaps the fantastic bold, rich blend of both.
“Hello, I’d like a 12oz drip with room for half n half and happiness. Thanks.”
CoffeeShopVibes 