The Evolution of Phones is written by Christine Blankenship, Publisher of Vibrant Senior Options Resource Guide. This article is published in the Fall/Winter 2024 Edition of Vibrant Senior Options Resource Guide.
Legend says that the beginning of coffee goes back to the year 850 AD. A goat herder noticed his goats were doing a strange goat jig. On investigation this Ethiopian, named Kaldi, saw a goat munching on unusual berries. Brittanica.com He tried a sample for himself and joined the goat dance! Word of this story spread fast, and soon, monks were using coffee beans to stay awake during prayers.
The 17th Century Coffeehouse
Coffeehouses became the place to be in 17th century Europe. This drink had become steeped into daily life and culture. At these places of social networking, people discussed politics, philosophy, and the latest gossip. Coffeehouses became “schools of wisdom because of the clientele they attracted, and … some political leaders feared open discourse common in such establishments, … ” (www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-coffee) Kings feared the makings of revolution in coffeehouses and tried to ban them, to no avail.
The Early 1980’s: Coffee in the Family
My personal coffee chronicle started with my mother, who embedded two quotes in my teenage brain.
- “If you are going to drink coffee, you learn to drink it black.”
- Of Dad, she said, “He drinks a little bit of coffee with his cream and sugar.”
Coffee at the Office
I was deterred until my first office job in the mid 1980’s. My main job was working with about 30 people, typing and answering their phone calls. The 8 am task was to brew coffee! I then drew my own lines on this topic: start with black and add sugar and milk until it tasted good. These days were enabled by mugs of caffeinated sweetness!
My Early 1990’s: Coffee Chronicles
Somewhere around the dawn of the 1990s, there was a big change in coffee chronciles. Coffee drive-throughs began to break through the café culture. These stands became a wonder to behold with hot, fresh brew on the road. It was during this time that my limit of one cup a day became the rule.
The Mid 1990’s: Off and On Again
In the mid 90’s we had our first two children, 11 months apart. For “healthy pregnancy” reasons, I went off coffee for almost two years! I also returned to this caffeinated fuel to keep up with those babies who turned into toddlers. It was painful to limit myself to one cup a day.
The 2000’s: As the Coffee Turns
It seems that ordering at a modern day coffeehouse requires a new language.
In the year 2003, our third child was born. During these years my husband also joined my coffee fetish. It was also then that I determined to find “healthy” coffee. Now, I bring coffee beans home from certain stores, certain brands, certain roasts, certain brew, certain milk, etc.
It seems that ordering at a modern day coffeehouse requires a new language. Special words include espresso, cappuccino, mocha, Americano, Italian, short, tall, Grande, drip, cold-brew, steamed, split shot, single or double shot, Nitro, and more. This doesn’t even touch the topics of milk choices and the myriads of syrup flavors! I have even learned the correct language to order my certain coffee at my favorite coffee shop: “Black, no sugar” – a nod to Mom. Always add “a few dashes of milk” – a nod to Dad.
The Next Generation Weighs In
Needless to say, our adult children each have their own coffee chronicle and opinion. The oldest calls coffee the “Devil’s Brew” and scours the kitchen for tea. Our next child meets with friends and family at coffeehouses for about any occasion she can think of. The youngest, a college student, is fighting the temptation of ever needing a caffeine fix and to be known as the one with no opinion and no taste for coffee. Who would have thought?
Christine Blankenship, Publisher
Vibrant Senior Options
