Reflections From The Kitchen Sink on Coffee
Coffee
So this comparison may be a stretch, but this morning while fixing coffee, I had a microcosmic few of our world at the coffee pot. You see, while things have slowed down to the cliched snail’s pace, I’ve been distracted enough to take a few shortcuts. One has been my coffee making. I still have my 2-2.5 cup average, but I’ve been roaming around somewhat lost in the COVID funk so much that coffee just isn’t a priority. I know…you’re shocked…let me finish.
I’m kind of a structure freak. Even my “wing it” days have plans. I joke about being as spontaneous as a turtle, but it’s really not a joke. My health issues are often pains in the bum and hinder my agendas, but I have daily itineraries nonetheless. One of my secretaries from a few years back still jabs about my index card reminders I had each day. (Hey, Vera! Love you!) …yes…coffee, microcosms, and the sink! Sorry. Maybe I should have consumed more before I started rambling here.
Anyway…I’ve been a tad disloyal to my Bunn Coffeemaker. Pre-COVID, the Bunn was my Monday-Wednesday-Friday option, and Keurig came in for Tuesdays and Thursdays. That was the spring school schedule coffee routine based on my child drop-off loops. Simple enough, right? Then the Rudy “Rona” came in, and there weren’t kid drop-offs for the rest of the school term kinking the plan.
If you’ve been with me long here, you know sleep doesn’t happen easily, and early mornings are the norm. Even with my attempts to be a stalker mom and stay up late to monitor my kids’ every moves, I do tucker out earlier than they do and call it quits by 10:00 or so. Fibro Franny usually wakes me three or four times, and I surrender and get out of bed 5:30ish. I usually show up here at the sink, have some prayer time, and just hang out for a bit before starting the day. One of the ways I have enabled the kids a bit has been to be their alarm clocks—my dad was mine, and now that I’m older, I love thinking back to that…part of a story for another day maybe.
The boys are 16 and 19 and stay up later now that there’s no school to attend; they don’t need Big Mama waking them at 6:00 and 7:00, respectively, when they have nowhere to go! So Big Mama stands at the sink for a bit, walks #notmydog a time or two, writes 4011 sticky note reminders, and occasionally throws in a cup of coffee. The Keurig has just been easier…which, yes, here we go with my main point. (I know you were being patient with me. Thank you for that.)
Easy is sometimes good. Sometimes, it is the necessary choice. However, easy shouldn’t take hold of us for long, or we with forget the quality and quantity that comes with the bigger and often more loyal parts of our existence. The Keurig can fill a quick need or be used in a pinch, but the Bunn is in for the long-haul part of the day. It’s kind of like getting $2 of gas versus $20. Yes, your car will move, but how far will it go?
I worry that too much of society is settling for quick and easy. We don’t have the desire to wait for the full pot to brew. We want our part now! We are like the bratty girl on Willy Wonka in many ways. Why hold ourselves back waiting for something that can sustain many people or sustain us individually for a longer time when our cup can be filled almost instantly? I tell my kiddos often that they can slow down and do things right the first time, or they can haphazardly approach tasks and have to redo them several times spending exponentially more time in the long run. Perspective.
Impatience and egocentrism are, sadly, attributes being programmed into us as a society. It isn’t just the young kids who are brats. These attributes impact our relationships with people, too. Who can fill this need right now? I can slide Sally Sue Bunn over the side for a bit because Katie Jo Keurig fits my social need right NOW. Sally Sue will wait for us, but some of her water will evaporate eventually. She won’t crank out that full pot next time you try her out. It will take multiple attempts and maybe even priming without making anything before she resets for us. We need to keep some balance about us to avoid that.
Now don’t get me wrong: there is a place for the Keurig. Instapots are trendy. Sometimes, driving through for fast food just fits the moment. I’m thinking, though, we may need to reprogram our minds a bit and not get too wrapped up in the quick and easy. Slow down. Invest in experiences and people that provide depth. I promise it will be worth the effort. Those tried and true relationships are the best.
Thankfully, Sally Sue Bunn wasn’t too miffed at me. She was only a couple cups short. We got everything worked out LOL. “We good” as the cool kids on the street say. I’m more of the use-a-verb type, but I try to stay current. Well, no, I don’t , but you know that already.
Time for that second cup and some sticky note writing. Cyber hugs from the sink to you all. Please be safe.
…until next time…
Melinda Campbell Bio:All Reflections from the Kitchen Sink posts are written by Melinda Campbell. Melinda is a retired educator who currently focuses her efforts on raising her two teenaged boys, advocating for individuals with special needs and against drunk driving, and serving in her local community. New Kitchen Sink Merchandise-Click Here?
