Coffee Cups

You know, I'm not much of a coffee drinker.

Cappuccino, Affogato, Cortado, Americano, the list goes on. These foreign-sounding words all mean the same thing to me — 'Coffee'. In all honesty, I would be perfectly content living under my coffee-starved little rock, ignorant of the ways of the barista. Unfortunately, drinking coffee has become a status symbol of sorts; an unsolicited exclamation to onlookers that the coffee-drinker works hard — hard enough to require caffeine to survive and function. Take a walk around the central business district at nine in the morning and you'll see these hustlers prance around in their freshly pressed shirts, ironed pants and well-shined leather shoes with a coffee cup in hand. Classic.

Regrettably, even coffee hermits like myself will inevitably find ourselves in situations where we must make the uncomfortable decision of ordering a cup of vile, black liquid from a handsome young man behind the counter. Depending on our choice of beverage, our acquaintances judge us on the maturity and refinement of our tastes, whilst forming an equally inaccurate and unjustified judgement of our personalities. In my attempts not to come across as immature, I have found myself guilty of ordering Expressos, the most pure and unbelievably disgusting form of coffee, only to instantly regret my choice the moment the warm concoction touches my lips. Why would anyone ever willingly do this to themselves? I ponder, as I force myself to swallow the poison I had just willingly spent good money on— Oh.

Complaints aside, I do have to admit that the coffee-drinking experience isn't completely without its merits. What I absolutely despise in taste is made up for with the company I share the experience with. If I'm spending an afternoon catching up with some friends, the cuppa joe warms not only my palms, but also my solitary heart in deep, profound ways. Even if I am alone, the deep, rich (and sometimes unpleasant) flavour of coffee reminds me of the rich, robust (and sometimes unpleasant) existence we all share as human beings. As I sip and stare at the coming and going of patrons, as I listen to the conversations of those around me (sorry not sorry), I can't help but let my mind wander as I think about life and what it means. Recently, I've realised that we could describe our lives aptly using coffee and coffee cups. It goes a little something like this —

Love is like Coffee. It can be warm and soothing, but can also be bitter and unpleasant. There are different types of love, and not everyone likes it done in the same way. Some people like their coffee with milk, others with chocolate, others watered-down, and so on. It would be literally impossible to expect everyone to like the way we make our coffee. There will be some open-minded souls who are willing to try and enjoy multiple types of coffee, but there will be others who only insist on drinking the specific style that they like. You can't please everyone, so it probably isn't a good idea to beat yourself up if there's someone who dislikes and rejects the way you make coffee. I'm sure that there will be someone out there who absolutely adores your brew.

Learn to brew your own Coffee. Not everyone will like the coffee you make, but what matters is for you to like it. After all, you're the one doing most of the drinking, and you know how to make it in the way that you like best. If you're in the mood for a Latte, why wait for someone to make one for you? Humans are unreliable creatures. Everyone has different emotional capacities to help others, and we spend most of our time alone. It would be alarmingly stressful if we're desperately for craving a cup of coffee, but have no way of getting hold of one. Why not just make some for yourself? True, you might not know how to grind coffee beans the right way, or maybe you don't know how much milk to add in. Yet, with every attempt, you'll get better and better at making the ideal cup of coffee for yourself to enjoy whenever you get in the mood for some.

Fill your own Coffee Cup. Someday, you might want to share your coffee with someone else. But if you don't learn how to brew more of your unique blend on your own, there might not be enough to go around. If all you have is a single cup of coffee, pouring some of it for others means less for you. Offering someone all that you have means that you'll be running on empty. How could you enjoy a warm drink with someone without your own warm drink? By loving yourself and learning to fill your own cup, you'll be able to share your special brew with everyone without diminishing your own supply, allowing everyone to enjoy a relaxing afternoon together. Seconds anyone?

Self-love isn't easy, and it is awkward and difficult to swallow at first. But just like how coffee is an acquired taste, it will take time for us to truly appreciate the capacity to be compassionate towards ourselves.

...

Profound isn't it? An elegant way to put it, if I do say so myself. Colour me impressed.

Looking back, it's almost hard to believe that these insights came to me while ingesting that dark, acrid goo that I so loathe. Am I a coffee-drinker now? No, I still wouldn't know a Mochaccino from a Macchiato, and the taste of coffee still makes my brain scrunch up in certain inexplicable ways. But maybe I do understand a little better now why people drink coffee, although I'll never understand why anyone would voluntarily subject themselves to that sort of taste bud torture.

Well, that's about all I have to say. Let me go wash my cup now, wouldn't want that vile, black liquid to leave any stains, you know.