Last year my love life took an unexpected turn.
Following high school, freshman year of college marked a new beginning. After getting out of a two-year relationship, I knew the last thing I wanted was a serious commitment.
That was, until I met coffee.
It started out simple — a flirtatious cup every other morning, a cool frappuccino on a hot day — you know, casual dating. But the relationship quickly gained momentum, and before I knew it, that one cup every other day became at least two a day. No longer did I order a 12-ounce single-shot vanilla latte with no foam. My orders became more and more complex.
Before I even knew it, my single, proactive mission turned into a dependent and exclusive relationship. We were in love — but I couldn’t bear being so dependent on anyone. So much so, that at times, I actually hated being with coffee.
Like most girls, I confided in my friends; to my surprise, almost half of them were dancing around the same cycle. This love/hate relationship would have to stop, and I held on to summer as my only opportunity for freedom.
So I waited … and after nine long months of dragging out the relationship, summer finally granted me closure.
But some chose to stretch the relationship out a little bit longer. Sophomore Jennah Stillman is one of coffee’s many lovers. Not only does she involve herself romantically with him — she works two jobs for him.
“I think being a barista gives you the ability to help others and bring a smile to their face,” Stillman said. Working at both Marche Cafe and Hideway Bakery, Stillman admits to still drinking two to three cups of coffee daily.
“Some days I have my own natural energy to get through the day without it — but at the same time I’m not naturally endowed to keep up with the pace of life at all times. I don’t need it, but I love it,” Stillman said.
Stillman simply refers to coffee as “the dance with the liquid devil.”
“Coffee give s me the chance to sit and slow down from my day and take a look at the world around me,” Stillman said.
Accepting his love makes her relationship with coffee one of enjoyment — not. Jennah Stillman will be embracing her love of coffee as frequently as she desires, but I will spend this year fighting my lingering temptation of my love/hate relationship.
I spent my summer far from Oregon enjoying my
independence from coffee and even started seeing other beverages. My friends have always raved about the health benefits of tea, and they urged me to give him a chance. It would be absurd to say there wasn’t some curiosity floating through my head, and in the end their opinions persuaded me. Although we were only in the early steps of a relationship, we could never make it anything real.
Tea was only a rebound, and although he was much more
affordable and not as clingy, I never felt the same connection with him that I did with coffee. I said it was me, not him, and we decided it wasn’t meant to be.
Coming back to Eugene and breaking my attachment to coffee will be trying. Late-night studying will be more difficult, and making plans to have coffee with friends may be less frequent. I’ll probably meet with coffee (if he is willing, that is) occasionally to reminisce on the good times and remember how naive I once was.
As my wallet recuperates and my heart mends, it seems I’ll soon realize I did the right thing.
And I’m sure, one day, coffee will too. Jennah is a much better fit for him than I could ever be.
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