by Michael Philpott
The rich scent of the beans upon opening the canister is initially what drives me to make coffee every morning. But then, the grinding of the beans is almost as fulfilling. Each shiny little bean reduced to tiny grains in retribution for the sins of its earlier life.
I know, I know. You probably don’t believe a non-human plant can have moral fiber, do you? Dietary fiber maybe, but not the “burn in Hell if you get it wrong” kind.
Well, I’m here to tell you that coffee beans are, indeed, alive and well when it comes to romping on the dark side. And that, my friend, is precisely why so many of us caffeine freaks enjoy getting together for a steaming cup of the brown liquid. It was, after all, no less a philosopher than Aristotle himself who famously proclaimed that “Evil brings men together.”
So, I enjoy grinding those loathsome little beans, steeping them in boiling water until they give up their essence, and then drinking that vile liquid until there is no Earthly evidence left of those abominable little beans.
