WHY I’M BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE

I’m a regular coffee guy. That is to say: coffee from days gone by. I appreciate many of the finer things but $40/lb beans roasted this morning, brewed with beakers, pour-overs and the like are wasted on me. I just want a regular black cup of coffee, and I don’t mind if it was roasted and ground months ago in a factory. It’s probably because it’s what my dad drank, and it’s sentimental to me.

Often at community events there's a table with a couple big coffee dispensers. I was in such a lobby recently and thought I'd grab myself a cup of coffee. I found myself behind 25 people who were huddled around the two giant coffee pots, adding in their half-and-half, almond milk, flavored creamers, syrups, and sugars of natural and manufactured origins. There was stirring. There was thoughtful sipping. Pausing. More stirring. People were focused like it was a chemistry project. Meanwhile, I’m just standing there, unable to even reach the stack of cups thinking: “I am better than all of these people.”

That’s literally what ran through my head. Not “this wait is inconvenient.” No, my brain skipped straight to superiority. Like somehow, because I take my coffee black and can be in and out in three seconds flat, I am a more evolved human.

WHICH OF COURSE, IS RIDICULOUS

If anything, the argument could be made that they’re better than me. They’ve figured out how to take something as simple as lobby coffee and turn it into a tiny little moment of joy. I’m the one rushing through it like I’m in a race no one else signed up for.

And yet, in that moment, I felt superior. Just because of how I like my coffee.

WHY DO I DO THAT?

Why is it so easy to take a personal preference - whether it’s how I drink my coffee, what kind of music I like, or the clothes I wear - and turn it into some kind of moral high ground? Like my way is the “right way” and everyone else is just missing the mark.

The answer, if I’m honest, is probably some combination of pride and vanity. I'm bold, and I don’t apologize for my personality. But just because I have my preferences, doesn't mean you shouldn’t have yours. If I preach tolerance across the big things, why don't I live it out with the small ones?

I KNOW, IT’S ONLY ME

Because surely no one’s doing the same thing back at me, right? The fact that I have to drive a German car with excessive maintenance costs, as compared to their superiorly reliable Toyota. If there's an argument for who is smarter, they just made it - in my face. But it’s not true. It’s never true. People are just different. That’s it. They have their reasons. Their preferences. Their stories.

So maybe the next time I’m stuck behind 25 people doctoring up their coffee, instead of getting annoyed - or worse, smug - I could just, um, be patient. Maybe even appreciate that they’re savoring their moment just like I’m going to savor mine.

Cheers,

Paul