The day they took away the good coffee

We’re creatures of habit. At least I know I am.

I don’t know about you, but when little things in my life suddenly change, even small things.. it throws me off more than it probably should. It actually irks me, disappoints me and sometimes it changes the whole mood of the day.

This morning I stopped into the local Speedway next to work. It’s one of those convenience stores that’s actually owned by 7-Eleven now, and honestly, they’ve stepped up their game lately when it comes to coffee and food.

They had two fresh ground coffee machines there. The kind that grinds the beans before every cup, and one of them made the most incredible Brazilian coffee. It was hands down the best coffee I’ve ever had from a convenience store. 

The beans were ground fresh right in the machine while it brewed your cup. I drank it black every time because it was that smooth. No bitterness. No harsh acidity. Just rich, fresh coffee with that beautiful little layer of foam sitting on top.

It became part of my routine.

Well.. this morning I walked in with a friend before work, and immediately something felt off. One of the machines was gone.

Of course it was the Brazilian coffee machine.

Both of us just stood there staring at the empty spot like someone had removed a landmark overnight. It sounds ridiculous saying it out loud, but we were genuinely disappointed. 

That coffee had become the best brewed coffee around for miles.

So there we were, less than enthusiastic, filling up cups of Colombian blend instead, trying to convince ourselves it was “good enough.”

Then an Orange County sheriff’s deputy walked up behind us. Someone we recognized.

She looked over, stopped dead in her tracks, and said, “Oh my God. Where’s the other coffee machine?”

Immediately she started saying the exact same thing we were thinking.

“I needed that Brazilian coffee. How am I supposed to get through the day now?”

I laughed and told her, “I guess they don’t want us having strong good strong coffee anymore.”

And suddenly the three of us were standing around mourning a coffee machine like it was an old friend.

That’s when it hit me how much people cling to routines and little comforts.

I’m a simple guy. I don’t ask for much. But that coffee had quietly become part of my mornings. Especially on those rough days when you’re dragging into work half awake, it was the perfect pick me up.

Such a small thing, yet somehow it managed to throw me off balance first thing in the morning.

The Colombian coffee was okay, I guess. But I had to drown it in cream because it was more acidic. The Brazilian coffee was smooth enough to drink black, which for me says everything.

Humans are funny like that.

We get comfortable with certain little things in life. A favorite item on a restaurant menu. A certain routine. A familiar product on a shelf. Then one day it disappears without warning, and it leaves this weird little hole in your day.

Not life changing. Not tragic.

Just… off.

And somehow those tiny changes can affect us more than we’d ever admit.