I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
I read that line in a poem, once. It was a quite dismal poem, actually, about having lived a futile life. But I could relate to that one line apart from the rest, because I could relate to coffee.
Now, in this series, I will attempt to relate coffee to the news.
Surprisingly, it’s not as much of a stretch as it may at first sound. In fact, I believe the news and coffee are inextricably linked.
Before I became a coffee drinker, I would wake up each morning to my parents indulging in multiple cups of java as they read the morning paper. News could not exist without that first cup of coffee, and vice versa.
When I was older, I took a part-time job as a barista — and was amazed by the amount of news processed in a coffee shop each day. Local and national newspapers were for sale beside the cash register. Customers sat at tables, sometimes for hours, conversing about current events. And the coffee shop even became part of a larger news story as expensive espresso took a hit along with the economy.
In my opinion, current events are best if served with a side of cappuccino.
The New York Times, it seems, agrees. The company announced earlier this week that it will partner with Dunkin’ Donuts to put news headlines on TV screens in the coffee company’s stores.
And even that might be just the tip of the biscotti when it comes to cross-promotion: Now, a technology exists to integrate advertisements right into the foam on your latté. Caffeinated consumerism? You bet.
As I think of coffee and the news, I’m reminded of a printer-paper sign posted in the newsroom of my college town’s newspaper: “How can we be more like a coffee shop for the community?”
At a local coffee shop the other day, I watched from the window as a parade marched down the street just outside. I devoured newspaper and magazine articles on my laptop. News was everywhere, as pungent and overwhelming as the smell of freshly poured espresso. It’s no wonder newspapers want to be a little more like that.
And so, in this series, I will measure out my news in coffee spoons. Whether you’re a tea drinker, a coffee connoisseur, or even just a hot chocolate devotee, there’s room at this table.
I hope you’ll join me in drinking in all the news coffee has to offer.
