writing about coffee

What’s up with people writing about coffee on their blogs? Every time I turn around, or hit the “next blog” key at the top of a blog, some twenty-year-old is writing about coffee. What’s up with that? It’s like the preppy version of a frat kid. “Dude, I got wasted!” “Dude, I drink coffee now!”

Here’s another topic I’m growing quite cynical of. Community. Why do I get the feeling that, when I read people talking about community, what they’re really talking about is a group of people who are just like them? I’m not suggesting that this is true in all cases, but too often I feel like what they’re actually looking for is a group of Christians, around their same age, and with similar interests. And, while this is certainly a community, it’s not one that’s going to teach us much.

But the thing I’ve grown the most cynical of are the people who wear Make Poverty History bracelets or post the banner on their website, but don’t actually participate in free trade or ethical shopping. I’m not even certain that people are educating themselves in the type of products and companies that participate in free trade or ethical manufacturing. It seems that justice has become fashionable.

Sigh. Cynicism. Some people loathe it, I happen to believe that it’s a useful tool in calling out the discrepancies in society. But then, I’m a bit cynical.

This week I had the strangest thing happen to me. I’m walking down the street and I see a blind man walk out of a shop carrying a guitar. I immediately recognize him as a man whom I’d met on a bus about a year ago. I remember him because I was immediately impressed that he could play the guitar. I am not blind, yet am a mediocre guitar player at best (no comments from either of the Shauns/Seans). So, upon seeing him walking out of this shop, I walk up to him and ask him if he’s crossing the street. He says yes and so I sort of take him by the arm and walk across with him. Halfway across the street I say, “Hi, my name is Tim Miller. You probably don’t remember me, but…” at which point he cuts me off and says, “yeah, from the bus.” !!! What the heck! I’m fascinated by this. Now my wife has given me several reasons for why this guy might remember me. (1) Not a lot of people talk to strangers on the bus. (2) I have an American accent. But still, that’s impressive! I have yet to hear him play the guitar but now I’m on a mission to do so. I want to start some cool band with a cool name. Something along the lines of, “Key of See.” Or maybe that’s an album title.

I close this post by letting you know that I had a bottle of water yesterday at an Asian restaurant. Dude, I drink bottled water!