My favorite locally owned coffee shop is basically shutting down (they had curbside delivery for the past couple of weeks). It seems that they will try to have just brewed morning coffee early AM for those of us who still go to work. At any rate, they are hand delivering their coffee beans and their wine. I ordered a couple of bags of Ethiopian Yirigacheffe coffee and a couple of bags of their blonde roast blend. Package was delivered to my home by the barista himself; they even put a couple of small presents inside and a nice thank you card signed by all the employees. I chatted with the owner on Facebook, it seems that the delivery service was a huge success and it will keep them afloat for a bit.
These are the times in which I am reminded of the fact that coffee is more than just a coffee cup. Whenever I drink my morning cup of joe, whenever I sit at a coffee shop (even a chain like Starbucks), the truth is that there is a lot going on behind the scenes, stuff that I don't see, stuff that I take for granted, stuff that I don't even think of. This goes from the farmers, and it includes even their accountants. It includes those who provide for them, it includes the trucker that moves my coffee from one area to the other, it includes the vendors, the baristas, the owners.
Next time you drink a cup of your favorite coffee, just think about everything that goes on, and just say a prayer for or think good thoughts about who is behind that drink. It's the result of the universe so far - it's a simple fact. It's the result of the hard work of countless people. I am sure that keeping that in mind not only will make us better people, but it will also make the coffee taste 100x better.
