A buddy of mine had a copy of Too Much Coffee Man Meets His Coffee Maker (the comic book). I swear, I think I had perma-grin for a good 3 or 4 hours after we parted ways. It had been forever since I'd seen that comic, let alone thumb through the pages ... Funny how things you have forgotten that used to bring a smile to your face reappear when you need them most.
I fear that I have adopted too grim a view of humanity as of late. And it has truly been completely unintentional ... Sometimes, just turning on the tube is enough to spark an anxiety attack ... "So why turn it on?" you may ask ... I'll have to get back to you on that ... Seriously, I guess it is to keep an eye ... er, ear tuned to what the machine is up to. Oh, and for Background Noise.
Not that we get an honest picture, but what we do get is enough to fan the personalized flames we all adopt and hold dear; be they hope, fear, anxiousness, contentment, hunger, thirst, paranoia, etc ...
People HEAR what they want to ... They LISTEN when they have to ...
It is sometimes odd the places people go to seek comfort ... and even more disturbing the gurus (be they gossipy, preachy, philosophical, fanatical, carnivorous or even doped) from whom they seek comfort and guidance ... course, I have no room to talk ... I've met many talkers, whiners, and those who have no clue what they say ... they just like the sound of the echo their voice creates as it bounces manically off the confines of their vast, cavernous head that is seated firmly upon burdened shoulders ... And then there are the Enlightened ones (not meaning to sound religious or anything, but that is the adj that fits at the moment ...), those are the ones with Substance ... Purpose ... Heart ... A social conscience, if you will. The ones you could talk to for hours (and sometimes do), the ones who give you hope ...
(Background chatter: "More coffee?" ... "Like you gotta ask ... Of course!")
I have many, many acquaintances ... and amidst the uppity drama of Gossip Central (aka one of more popular Java Joints this side of the Mississippi) you can always tell who is who ...
There's the Town Crier, the Gossip Hound, the Player, the Wanderer ... well, you get the idea ... and their sole duty is to provide Diversion ... Kinda like the cute, snuggly stories that are slid discretely between the horrors of the World "Over There" or those stories that make you shake your head asking "WTF?" ...
... And just as happens in the larger scheme of things, the pot continues to percolate, addictions are fed, and word continues to travel. Quickly ... skipping from one booth to the next only to jump the counter and hitch a ride to the next shift ... I am often amazed at what survives the dicey road of gossip and what dies a horrible, lonely death ... you know, the words that actually hold meaning, worth ... substance -- NOT who is screwing who (metaphorically OR literally) ... -- are the ones that suffer the most traumatic fate ... They do not sprout superhero wings or adopt exceptional powers of embellishment, no, they are what they are and nothing more ... and such "simplicity" is their downfall ... or is it?
I continue to cling to the proverbial "Coffee Mug is Half Full" mantra. I have to. There are too many negative forces that frolic in and around our environment to adopt anything different. I may get discouraged frequently ... vent discontent and aggravation on occasion... but in the end, I still have to hope that the best of humanity will eventually shine through. What else is there?
Oh, yeah, the coffee crunchies you sometimes discover at the bottom ...
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