Linda
Lambert once said, “One good conversation can shift the direction of change
forever.” I couldn’t agree more, but while a conversation can shift the
direction; it can’t do so on its own. A conversation is usually powered by a
nice, hot, strong cup of coffee!
Yes! Coffee
is life and for those who don’t know, I love coffee and coffee loves me. At
times I feel it is addicted to me!
Phrases like
“Let’s catch up over a cup of coffee” or “Let’s discuss it over coffee” are not
just words for me, they indicate meaningful conversations. When was the last time you had a meaningful
conversation over coffee? Rather; any
kind of conversation at all?
Over the
years the entire concept of talking or catching up over a cup of coffee has
been replaced by just taking a break and checking your phone or social media.
So, what is
special about having a conversation over coffee, you might ask. For one, coffee
conversations are more relaxed unlike dinner conversations, which come with
overtones of some degree of pressure. The very atmosphere that gets created
with the smell of freshly ground coffee filling the air makes the perfect
setting to talk, read, think or just observe people around.
Recently I
had a very busy week and all I wanted was to just have some time alone and
catch up on a book I had started reading a few weeks back. So, I went to a café….while
sipping on my coffee and reading my book, I looked up to see the other people
around. Now the crowd was mainly college kids; that was good, but they were in
the café not for meeting friends…they were there for the free wifi. All the
kids had their eyes fixed on their phone screens either playing some online
games or watching something!
What is this
generation coming to!!!??
Call me an
old soul, but I love it when my friends ask to meet me over coffee because
that’s when we catch up over everything going on with each other. I love the
smell of coffee; it reminds me of all the good times and conversations I’ve had
with people. More than people, the times I’ve had with myself!
Nowadays,
people are busy texting, tweeting, Instagramming or Whatsapping pictures or
stories about what they are doing; rather than experiencing those moments!
Coffee is
synonymous with celebration and sadness. Whether it is love, promotion,
heartbreak or something as simple as wanting some time-out, coffee is the
perfect reason to zone out with your thoughts.
To be
honest, I met my husband over Coffee! Why am I mentioning this? Well, this is
to highlight how important it is to have some time-out. Not just my husband, I
met my muse over coffee!
Have you
ever wondered why children have a favourite book? Well, they like the story,
but more than the story; they love the time when they snuggle up next to their
parent and read it. When they read that book again, it’s like they are reliving
those memories. So why can’t this new generation also live the moments rather
than being in a constant race to outshine each other on a rather fake world
(Social media)?
Something
like this happened with me. I had just moved back with my mom and had no job. Since
I was back in my hometown after what seemed a decade; I went to my old school
to meet my old teachers. Since most of them had left the school, we decided to
meet over a cup of coffee.
We met up
and had a wonderful time remembering the good old school days and how the
teachers dealt with our gobbledygook. While leaving I just mentioned that I was
looking for a job but had no clue as to what I wanted to do. An old teacher of
mine, who had taught us Economics in school, stayed back with me to discuss
everything right from what I had done after school to what I was doing then.
After he heard it all, he offered me a job at the school where he was the
Principal.
It was like
magic for me, how over a discussion at a cafe, I found my calling. The
experience showed me how things fall in place when you communicate. Had I not
spoken and asked for help, I might still be lost and trying to find my way. Though
time and circumstances gave me newer and better opportunities, I still remember
how that coffee meet changed my life. It played a role in helping me gain
confidence and experience..and oh boy! What a lovely experience which only
prepared me for what lied ahead!
There are
days when I need a break from the world and my kids; that is when my good ol’
friend…Coffee comes to my rescue. I sit with my book and a cup of coffee in my
room without any distractions or disturbances. There are times when my friend
and I have coffee together over a video call and we have a blast!
I suppose
Coffee represents the carefree moments and the memories created. It may not be
with friends or family, maybe it might be a time when you are just sitting in a
cozy corner of your house, reading a book and getting lost in it. A time when
you are totally focused in a book and transported into another magical world. A
time when you are with friends or family with no other distractions; no worries
of the world; totally living the moment and enjoying it. So be present in that
time, talk, laugh, cry, scream and just be alive!
Well, coffee
is all that and more, magical just like the tagline of Café Coffee Day (CCD);
“A lot can happen over COFFEE.”
