Not just a drink

My friend Marc is a bit of a coffee connoisseur who grinds his own beans and fusses about how long to pull from his moderately expensive machine to extract the perfect espresso. He just turned 65 and stopped working at age 60 from the same engineering profession. We have known each other since 1990 and overlapped at both the beginning and end of our respective careers at the same firms. 

He knows about me of course and yesterday he was quizzing me over a phone call about all matters coffee related.

For me, I tell him, it isn't just about drinking it which I could do at home. It is about the social experience of going to the right place. The ambiance, the repartee with the barista or the patrons forms part of a larger experience. Yes, it is my drug but it forms part of what constitutes who I am.

Two cups a day will do but they need to be good ones which is why I tend to frequent Montréal's better establishments.

I have a substantial number of acquaintances which I have made over the years (most of whom are not aware of my gender history) thanks to this habit. They have helped flesh out my identity and authenticity to mature it and bring me out of hiding and into the light. So no, even if a great cup matters, it's not just about a drink.

Far from it.