Of love and dreams to share. (Day 6)

Today’s little cardboard door conceals… coffee.

Coffee is something I think a lot about. Seriously. I love it. I crave it. Like red wine, it makes me warm and happy. Though I don’t crave wine (or anything else, really) the way I crave coffee. And also like wine, it’s something that I savor. I think that’s part of its appeal. As far as I’m concerned, coffee is the non-smoker’s cigarette break. Or at least, that’s how I treat it. I don’t slurp it down while focusing on work or obligation. I savor and enjoy it, focusing on whatever comes along. The time I spend drinking it is my time.

I think I also associate it with good friends. There’s nothing like slowly sipping a hot cup of coffee while catching up with people you care deeply about. Just did it yesterday, in fact. In the middle of the workday! Tea works too, and I do drink tea, but to me it doesn’t even come close to my feelings for the dark brew. And yeah, I’m probably addicted, and yeah, I’ve gone through weaning periods (just to do it, cuz that’s what kind of guy I am), but honestly, I can’t imagine the effects of one cup of coffee a day (maybe two on weekends) are anything that needs to be worried about.

And it’s not just the taste of it, or the act of drinking it. To me, for as long as I can remember, the smell of it has always been one of the most pleasurable aromas on earth. Even when I was little, and couldn’t stand the taste of the stuff, the smell always caught my attention. Just walking past a Starbucks or into a coffee shop is enough to give me a moment’s pleasure. And in this city, where you encounter so many things that give so many moments of displeasure, you really need that. Or at least I do.