Wednesday, August 27, 2014

My Industrial Revolution

August 27, 2014

Some have claimed that it's responsible for the Industrial Revolution, and I partly believe it. It certainly gave a boost to my industrial capacity today. The lowly coffee bean; originally cultivated in Ethiopia, it is now grown all around the world in the tropical belt north and south of the Equator. I've often wondered whatever possessed someone to pick the coffee cherry, throw away the outside, dry and roast and crush the bean, then boil it in water, throw it away and drink what's left. I can't imagine doing that with peanuts or cashews!

In 18th Century England, water in the cities was unfit to drink, so beer, wine, and rum lubricated all classes of society, which wasn't particularly conducive to productivity in the work force. Tea was of course, the quintessential English drink, but it did little to keep laborers working the long hours required by their overseers. Enter coffee. Suddenly, people could work longer hours without the limitations of ordinary weariness. A cup mid-morning, at lunch, and mid-afternoon kept workers alert and energized, which helped spike productivity. At least, so goes the tale.

My story is not the stuff of history, but it is worth noting (to me, at least). I just didn't feel like having a cup of joe this morning; sometimes it just doesn't appeal to me. So I ate my Cheerios and half a bagel with the requisite peanut butter, and sat down to read my Bible. That always brings on the sleepies; I think the devil's favorite and most useful helper is the Sandman. I bravely fought him off, said my prayers, and started my workday. Today was slated for preparing the bathroom ceiling for new tile. I can't do much more with the cupboards till I know where the ceiling is going to be, so I had to remove the fluorescents and install two by fours crossways in a valiant attempt to level things up so it will look at least halfway decent when I'm done.

Jessie brought her three kiddos for a visit while she went to the hairdresser at 11:00, so work came to a halt for an hour and a half, then it was back to the salt mines. About two o'clock, I told Linda I felt like I could barely keep moving. She encouraged me to quit for the day and take a nap, but I want to get this project done, and naps aren't much help in that department. Then I remembered; I hadn't had any coffee in the morning. It's odd; I've given it up twice for Lent, with the only noticeable effect being feeling a bit fuzzy-headed for a couple days at the start, but today it felt like my entire body was like a 78 LP playing at 33 1/3 (For those whose memory goes no further back than CD's or cassette tapes, I was in slo-mo).

Linda brewed me up a pot of my Starbucks Italian blend (gosh, that's good stuff!), and after a brief sipping and talking respite on our back deck, I was back to work. Twenty minutes later, I felt great, and worked until about 8:00 pm, with a short break for supper. I've never thought myself dependent on the stuff, but it sure was a life-saver today! Again, nothing here that's going to make the evening news, but I am very thankful today for that Ethiopian discovery hundreds of years ago. It blessed me today.

No comments:

Post a Comment