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My First Cup of Coffee

by Susan J. Decuir

or as far back as I can remember, Mom, born in of my co-workers said, “Would
Newfoundland in 1920 when it was still a British you like a cup of coffee?”
Fcrown colony, drank a of cup of hot tea with a She gasped when I told her that I had never tasted coffee.
teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of milk every morning. I guess it was a rule that if you worked you drank coffee,
Dad, born in Dunkirk, New York in 1919, met Mom while because she coaxed me into trying a cup. She watched while
he was stationed in St. John’s, Newfoundland during WWII. I took my first sip. It was bitter. I must have scrunched my
They fell in love, married in New York City in 1944, had face because she said, “You might like it better with sugar
three children, then moved to Dallas, Texas in 1953—the and cream.” I tried it. And it was better. But still, I wasn’t
land of sweet iced tea. that interested.
In the steaming hot Texas summers, sometimes Mom would As the decades passed, I went through phases when I would
drink a glass of Lipton® drink a cup of coffee once in
instant iced tea, but I never a while, sometimes making it
saw her drink nor make a pot at home, but I soon tired of it.
of coffee. Nor did Dad, unless Then—well, about fourteen
he drank coffee at work. years ago I discovered a little
So, by the time I graduated coffee shop called Starbucks.
from high-school in 1964 at Oh my!
seventeen, I had never tasted It was overpriced for sure, but
coffee. they made the most delicious
It wasn’t as though I had mocha drink ever, topped
never been exposed to with a generous amount of
coffee. Several of Mom’s their scrumptious homemade
neighborhood friends drank whipped cream and a
coffee. But one neighbor, chocolate drizzle. I ordered
Mrs. Kemp, was from decaf because the straight
England. One of my fondest coffee was so strong it would
memories was when she make your hair curl.
would invite me to join her Later I graduated to a tall
and her daughter (my friend) (their version of small)
for tea at four o’clock in the decaf, nonfat vanilla latte
afternoon. What I remember with whipped cream on top.
the most were the scrumptious Through the years I have tried
crumpets and sweet treats she many of their drinks including
served with the tea. frozen Frappuccino’s with
In the 50s and 60s, coffee enough sugar in it to keep me
commercials seemed to dominate Television commercials. going all day.
Mrs. Olsen was the smiling grandmotherly lady with an But now that I am a mature adult over 70, I save Starbucks
accent who promoted Folger’s coffee as the mountain for a special treat. Besides, I can make a decent cup of
®
grown coffee—giving it a richer and better flavor. Maxwell coffee with half and half at home for pennies, or a cup of hot
House coffee commercials began with the melodic sound chocolate made with milk, Hershey’s Syrup, with a spray of
®
of percolating coffee before touting their message: Maxwell whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle on top as tasty as a
House tastes as good as it smells, and it’s good to the last Starbuck’s mocha, leaving me more money to spend on my
drop. Though coffee did smell delicious, I was never grandchildren.
tempted to try it.
And a cup of coffee is only 25 cents at the senior center.
Then, following high school graduation, I landed my first Wisdom truly does come with age. “For the Lord giveth
job in downtown Dallas in the Cotton Exchange Building as wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and
an IBM Keypunch Operator for Texoma Gins. During our understanding.” •
break, I noticed that everyone in the office drank coffee.
When I commented on how yummy the coffee smelled, one

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