Coffee fix

For every young adult starting out as a professional in the corporate world, there is that all-important transition point.

This is the point where our higher-ups decide enough training is enough and proceed to toss us off the deep end. By this, I mean giving us responsibilities and reports to make and submit, sometimes all at the same time.

What follows is something straight out of a comedy skit: the initial restlessness of twiddling our thumbs and not having much to do has given way to other-side-of-the-spectrum reactions of doom-and-gloom now that there are deadlines to meet.

By the beard of Santa Claus, how do they expect us to get all of this done in eight hours? This is slavery! Life-wrecking, back-breaking work!

It’s times like these when a cup of coffee is in order. Aside from being a natural stimulant, it’s also been a drink that I always go back to whenever I need to calm myself and center my thoughts.

In those instances when coffee made me a bit loopy, it also made me do a lot of stuff I’d regret. But that’s another topic.

In my obsession with all things coffee related, I stumbled onto this story:

There was once a father whose son was leaving for his first day of college. Unsure of his future and other people’s expectations of him, he had gone to his father and poured his heart out. Without saying a word, the father led him to the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, the father let a kettle of water boil. In it, he placed a carrot. After a few minutes, he took out the carrot.

The next thing he placed inside the kettle was an egg. After a few minutes, he took out the egg and set it aside.

The last thing he placed was a handful of coffee beans. After closing the kettle’s lid, he turned to face his son.

“Son, the water in the kettle represents adversity. In the course of navigating through life, we sometimes come across situations that put pressure on us and make us uncomfortable.”

“The carrot represents some people who go in with an optimistic view. Strong, hard, and unrelenting, they realize in the end that they are unable to take the pressure and soften up, just as the carrot did.”

“The egg represents people who go into life with a negative view. Starting out as fragile individuals, they become hardened and difficult to live within the end.”

“The coffee beans, however, eventually changed the water that it was boiling in. These are the people who allow circumstances to change them for the better and increase their sphere of influence, as a result.”

Handing his son a cup of coffee, he then asked: “When adversity comes knocking, how will you respond? Will you be a carrot, egg or a coffee bean?”

To my fellow yuppies, I hope this little anecdote helps you as you meet deadlines and deliverables. Don’t worry. I think they do that because they’re actually beginning to trust us more with our jobs, which is not exactly a bad thing.

To the students, this is no different from projects and terror teachers. I would know, I was a student once. Take it as a challenge and not as a personal attack.

Me? I just brewed a fresh cup of coffee. Excuse me while I get my fix.