Let’s Talk, Kopi Luwak

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Random story: I used to hate coffee. As I’ve grown older, this sentiment has slowly eroded but it’s transpired over baby steps. At first, I became accepting of coffee ice cream – yep even that was an acquired taste for me. Then I slowly grew an appreciation for iced coffee – but only on a hot summer day. Fast forward a decade and here I am at work this Friday morning, pretending to write code, and sipping away on a hot cup o’ joe – black. I’m still not in love with it, but I have to admit, an occasional cup can really hit the spot sometimes. Oh and if you ever find yourself in San Francisco, get yourself an iced mint mojito coffee from Philz, house style. You can thank me later.

But back to what I wanted to express with this blog entry. I’m rediscovering that it’s all about the simple things. Even though I personally enjoy giving gifts, I’ve never been one who is great at receiving them. It’s not that I don’t appreciate them… but really it kinda is. I gotta be frank, a tangible piece of merchandise isn’t what I cherish so much as it is the spirit behind the gift. It’s why I always tell folks not to bother getting me anything for special occasions; I’m being genuine when I say it. Also, I usually end up getting myself the things I want anyhow hahaha. It comes with the territory of being a single adult male with expendable income.

However, what I have come to truly appreciate is quality time with those I care about. This has been reinforced all the more over the course of the past month or so as I’ve had the opportunity to sit down and share some good conversation with a number of friends. When I walk away from our meet-ups, I distinctly recall feeling a sense of encouragement and satisfaction from being able to interact freely and openly on many different levels. Our discussions ranged from the solemnly serious to inanely ridiculous, and often these moments were shared over a simple cup of coffee (a close second is over a crisp, cold beer – another barely acquired taste of mine).

Perhaps it’s a matter of positive reinforcement, but whether we’re talking about quality time/conversation or some good ol’ java, it’s been enriching to be able to appreciate and experience the nuances of both. And I’m thankful that something so simple as genuine fellowship can be so subtle yet powerful.

Oh, and if you don’t like Philz coffee, you’re wrong.