by J Mock

Created on: September 05, 2008   Last Updated: May 11, 2010

The inviting aroma conceived from a mug of steaming, sweet coffee, as the first light of a new day breaks out across the horizon. A drink, derived from the coffee bean, consumed for the quality of taste and the derived caffeine stimulant to awaken the senses.

The avid coffee drinker will have duly accepted the fact that their mind and body does not possess the ability to function without a ''fix.'' The craving must be quenched immediately upon awakening for any conscious action to be undertaken in a manner that is acceptable and with any sense of purpose.

The art of producing this essential morning ritual has been mastered over the years through trial and error. Is it the milk first, then the coffee and a sprinkling of sugar, or coffee granules under a stream of boiling water with a dash of cream that must be added in a circular motion?

Each perfectionist will have established their own ''correct'' way of filling a cup, and will view every other method as inferior.

It has been argued that a true connoisseur will only drink that which has been derived directly from the coffee bean itself, under their own watchful gaze, as they await the imminent percolation. To these individuals 'instant' coffee is the work of the devil and there is a petition in place to ban these jars of immoral caffeine waste.

We, the such afflicted, must not forget the modern enhancements that litter our urban streets. The simple cafes that offer a cup of coffee are increasingly outnumbered by those ''specialist'' venues that offer such variations as the Cappuccino, Cafe Latte, Cafe Mocha, and Cafe Americano. They advertise their drinks as ''light and frothy'' or ''with steamed milk and whipped cream.'' Why can they not simply advertise plain ''coffee'' anymore?

The use of foreign names to make the drink sound so exotic, and a must-taste beverage, is becoming the standard practice. How long before someone sits down in one of these establishments and orders a ''coffee'' only for the waiter to stand there with a puzzled expression and say that they will ask their supervisor if they sell it?

Dare you even attempt to ask for the old fashioned, black with no milk variety, without the fear of being asked to leave the premises for attempting to order? Will there soon be secret haunts tucked away out of the view of society, for these addicts who only want a plain coffee.

If this is the path to the future, then I fear that I shall become a member of this elite tribe of civilian outcasts. I standby the right to uphold the heritage and consume the traditional, no nonsense, simple, plain, untampered and ancestral steaming mug of liquid that is "coffee" and I will continue this protest until the end. Can my ashes be displayed in a coffee jar, I wonder?

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