As much as people roll their eyes when someone of an older generation begins a sentence with "back in my day ..." instead we should actually pause ... and listen. No, the "good old days" weren't better in every way imaginable. I actually like longer life expectancies, medical advancements, and more equity in our world (and we could use a lot more). I still won't part with my iPhone, ubiquitous wifi, and the ability to stream the UCI MTB downhill World Cup wherever in the world the race is at. And yet, we need voices of wisdom from yesterday to speak into our lives and remind us.

I live across from a McDonalds and everyday I see a long line of cars in the drive-through with engines idling, carbon emissions belching out of their exhaust, and yet the no one is in line inside ... its empty. But we want "convenience" and at what cost? Sometimes the new, the fast, the convenient, and the like aren't always the best for us.

The same applies to coffee.

No, I'm not talking about instant coffee. Instead, I'm talking about the process of making coffee. It's too easy to wake up, poke a button, and then mysteriously coffee begins dripping out of a machine. If you're like me, the morning doesn't really begin until I've had at least a few sips of my coffee. But I don't rush the process. I savor it. That may sound old fashioned or even antiquated but I've grown to love the process of making coffee as much as I enjoy drinking it ... sometimes even more.

My cupboard is stocked with all kinds of manual brew gadgets. Each day I take stock and decide what I'm in the mood for in regards to how I'll actually make coffee. Aeropress? Pourover? French press? Chemex? Moka pot? Espresso with the Fellow Prismo attached to my aeropress? Often times I find myself using one method for several weeks in a row and then I'll switch. I like to note how each brew method actually tweaks the way coffee tastes. Sometimes a coffee will taste better with an aeropress. Other times a pourover is the way to go. I can geeked out about how I actually make coffee.

This is slow coffee.

Coffee is not simply some commodity to be consumed. Instead, it is something to be savored and enjoyed ... slowly. While I don't long for the good old days of playing on my Atari or Commodore 64 from my childhood, I'm quite content with life in the here and now. In a time where we're constantly bombarded by notifications, DMs, likes, or insta-news, it's nice to have a regular morning routine. This is a coveted 10 minute window in my day. I look forward to it.

Give slow coffee a try.