Coffee.

I'm currently sitting in a coffee shop that I've never been to (well, I guess we sang carols here for like 2 minutes one time...), it's Dunn Bros! A few of my friends work here, so it's about time I tried it out... I'm drinking a non-fat Caramel Mocha Latte with one package of Sweet n' Low and it's quite lovely (I'm sure it would have been even better if Em E made it though). My first impressions of this place are that they have really sturdy wooden stirring sticks, there is a lot of natural light (as Colleen pointed out to me), and there is a more diverse crowd than your average coffee shop (as in young and old diverse, rather than artsy and business-y diverse, although it's that, too). You could say I'm pretty pleased.

The diversity got me thinking. Coffee transcends the ages. I remember when I was little thinking that only old people drank coffee and I would pour Coke in mugs pretending to drink coffee. And then I remember in middle school when I tried my first Frappuccino from Starbucks and thought I was the coolest kid in school. Now I'm in college and love coffee shops in general, so much that I even work at one.

I feel like coffee is often related to stress because people use it for the caffeine to get things done. I unfortunately use coffee like that quite often. But there is an old couple next to me, probably in their 70s or 80s, who are appreciating coffee and the experience, and I love it. They are sitting there, enjoying each other's conversation, with no rush to quickly finish their sentences or move on to the next place. It just makes me smile and reminds me of one of the main things that life is about: taking time to love people.