Hello and Happy Saturday.
I had an interesting conversation with my mom today while we waited for my father and people-watched. A man came out of the gas station in a hurry with two cups of “coffee to go” which is actually not that common in Germany. Some places do offer it however. The man looked really stressed out while he fumbled for his key and talked to himself. He looked annoyed at his wife who sat in the car, also talking to herself. Or her phone, who knows these days. So my mom told me a story from when she was a kindergarten teacher and enjoyed her coffee-break with her colleague. “She made every little coffee-break special. The way she prepared everything, boiled the water first in a little pot and then added the coffee was what made me forget the stress of the day. Made me look forward to the first sip of this great cup of coffee. It was something different from the ordinary cup of coffee I drank at home”, my mom said. The way she explained this made me taste the coffee and almost smell the flavor and instantly I wanted a cup. [Yep, my mom is very well read and words are her thing!]
In the meantime, the couple in the other car left; both with their coffee-to-go in their hands, arguing. This made me think about when I really enjoyed a cup of coffee last. I do stay at my parent’s house for now and my mom and I have our occasional afternoon chat with coffee or tea which is of course always great. Now, I am talking more about the coffee you have at a café or even at home but which sure beats sipping on a cup of coffee in a car while rushing through traffic. I have even seen people drinking coffee in the car in the morning. Well, in New York everybody walks around with a cup of either Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts at all times, especially on their way to work which I found very strange in the beginning. When I used to smoke [yeah, I broke this habit five years ago!] I literally smoked and walked to work while drinking coffee. My mind was racing and rushing constantly while I tried to not pour this coffee all over my clothes while walking to work. [If you live in New York you don’t walk anymore- you rush so fast that it feels like one step from running]
It is difficult for me to live in the moment. I am learning, working on it and getting better slowly but drinking coffee on the go means to me drinking coffee not in the NOW for some reason. It does never taste the same than if I would sit down and really enjoy a cup and being fully present without doing anything else. For some reason I think about the movie Chocolat and this scene:
To really sit down, focus on this cup of coffee (or chocolate or whatever) without rushing and really tasting the coffee is what I enjoy most. Sort of like mindful drinking, hah! In so many cultures drinking coffee is such a ceremony and I love it. You rarely, or never, see a French or Italian running around with a cup of coffee, right? Well, unless they live in New York. Drinking coffee for them is just all about enjoyment and mostly relaxation. People just hang out for hours in cafés to take breaks from their daily routines and just enjoy themselves or each others company. Of course, if you read this far you might say: “What is she even talking about here? I have to rush to work in the morning, get the kids ready, drive two hours to take them to daycare and so much more.” Valid point. It is a somewhat luxurious experience to SIT DOWN and enjoy a cup of coffee without hassle but everyone can do it. Just imagine that there are no counters to order coffee but a waiter has to bring you your cup to your table (a normal size cup – not grande, venti and whatnot), with a glass of water and two cookies. [Have you ever been to a Starbucks and stood behind someone ordering a Venti-Soy- with caramel-flavored-moccacino-vanille-soy-cream-spicy-latte?]
My point is that it is nice to fully enjoy the little things in life. To drink a cup of coffee and sit down and smell the aroma of whatever your are drinking. It is about the taste of the drink and the rich aroma in this cup in front of you. And YOU! The simple pleasures just like this cup of coffee.
One last thing: Starbucks personnel never get my name right. It is Daniela – not so difficult, right?
I would love to hear your thoughts about this. Do share your comment. How does Starbucks spell your name?
