Coffee - My Story

Coffee. Crowbar in a cup. It’s a magic brew—the eye-opener for many of us in the morning. Yet there are some who do not enjoy it. And that’s OK—no shade on them.

A Quick History

The wonderful beverage has an interesting history. The well-known fact is coffee originated in the Ethiopian highlands. Traders brought the coffee beans to Yemen to be grown. For years coffee was only available from Yemen.

That changed with more contact with Europe. The happiness spread quickly, and now it’s one of the most popular drinks in the world.

Instant Magic. Or Horror.

Growing up, I wasn’t a fan of coffee. My parents were huge coffee drinkers – one in the morning to start the day. The brewing smell and the odor from the cup were a real turnoff.

It’s the morning cup that got me. Instant coffee. Freeze-dried madness. I tried a sip when I was twelve. Like most twelve-year-olds, I won the Oscar for over-the-top reaction. Bitter. Bitter. Bitter. After that, I couldn’t be near the smell.

The College Years

College and coffee go hand in hand. I don’t remember a class where half the class had a cup in hand. You can see where this is heading.

So, I’m stuck in a room with non-opening windows, low ceilings, one doorway, and more than 18+ people. Then the professor entered. Three minutes later, they closed the door. It was hot and the AC is cranky. Despite it was early May.

The class was good, only interrupted by that smell. My university was a commuter school only. Many students didn’t have time to travel to the local coffee joint. The cafeteria coffee was the only game on campus.

The olfactory fun lasted for four years and the odd summer classes. But you can’t miss class.

Dungeons and Coffee Dragons

This popular game involved coffee too. How so is the question, right? If you and your gaming buddies play until the wee hours, some perk me up was called for. Fortunately, windows were opened, and the no-java types drank caffeinated drinks.

The Incident

Don’t we all have a game-changer in our life? Some event or person that destroys your rock solid notion for years? Mine was the great camping floods.

My friend, his Dad, and I decided on a last-minute camping trip on Columbus Day weekend. October is a reasonably cool month, with the cold or rain typically holding off until later in the month unless it rains enough to flood.

Long story short, the campsite flooded. My friend discovered this when his tent bottom rippled and gurgled. So at 3 AM, we had to grab everything in a flash, shove it into the truck and flee.

That changed because the flood enveloped us on three sides. My friend crashed the truck through the water but flooded the carburetor. We waded back to the disappearing island to get expensive tents and coolers.

Cold, miserable, plus bad-humored, we were lucky enough to stumble upon an all-night coffee joint. I reluctantly told the friendly waitress to keep my bottomless cup full. Damn the smell or taste. I’ve drunk coffee since, as the jet fuel they served jolted me.

The Ending

As a caffeine fiend now, I get a laugh. This beverage is an ingrained part of my daily routine. I am no different from others; I need that thunderbolt. And a re-charge late morning.

On average, I put down four cups. First at 5 AM and then about 11 AM.

In conclusion, I am not the man I was. My wife chides me for one comment years ago.

“HOW CAN YOU DRINK THAT STUFF?”