My South: ‘Procaffeinating’ the morning away

I’m “procaffeinating” this morning. That’s the tendency to put off doing anything until I’ve had coffee. It’s an affliction that began early, and I’ve struggled with it all my life.

The blame rests on the shoulders of my mother. We lived in the old house in Sloss Hollow when I was in grammar school and my older brother and sister were in high school. My mom rose early and cooked breakfast for my dad, who left for work around 5:30 a.m. But the first order of business each morning was putting on the coffee. 

She was a little scary until she had her coffee. 

After she got dad off to work, she made another pot and had a few moments of peace to herself before she had to get us ready for school. During those moments, she sat at our old Formica kitchen table, sipping her steaming cup of coffee. 

I loved the smell of her coffee, so one morning I asked if I could have some. She thought for a moment and then poured a little coffee in a cup, put in milk with a spoonful of sugarand pushed it across thetable to me. 

It was love at first sip.

Thankfully, my wife Jilda is also a coffee connoisseur. I’m not sure I could have gone through with our wedding had she not been into coffee. 

For years, we had a membership with Gevalia Coffee.  Every month, we received a new shipment. Coffee from Brazil has a different flavor than coffee from Africa. One of our favorite kinds was Sumatra coffee from Indonesia. 

During the holidays, Gevalia shipped us flavored coffee, which was a treat. Hazelnut Mocha was one of our favorites, but there is no substitute for the “REAL THANG.”

Some of our favorite venues where we perform our music are coffee houses. Without exception, coffee houses are the best places to play. The people there tend to be ones who embrace new tastes, not only in coffee but in music. 

We normally spend the money we make performing on bags of coffee for our stash at home. Music for nectar of life seems like a fair trade for us. Our motto is: “Will Play For Coffee.”

When either Jilda or I have a doctor’s appointment that requires fasting, it’s the lack of coffee that is problematic. Both of us are easygoing people, but encounters with us are risky on coffee-less mornings. (Is that a word?) This morning, I sat tapping the keys trying to think of a topic for this column. I could hear our coffeemaker gurgling in the kitchen. When Jilda asked if I’d decided on a topic yet, I shook my head. She said, “You’re procaffeinating!” 

The coffeemaker beeped indicating that my morning fix was ready. I smiled, not only because I was about to enjoy that first taste of coffee, but also, I knew what my column would be about this week.

Rick Watson is a columnist and author. His latest book, “Life Changes,” is available on Amazon.com. You can contact him via email at rick@rickwatson-writer.com.