Coffee Please

Throughout my career, I learned that most teachers drink copious amounts of coffee. At first, I drank coffee out of necessity, but gradually I moved beyond need to a love of coffee in its myriad varieties. Here's my story.

In August, I encountered my first teaching-related lesson about coffee. Entering my district’s initial teacher meeting, I was engulfed by a combination of nerves and anticipation for what was to come. A group of seasoned teachers had gathered around a long table, offering a seemingly endless supply of steaming coffee and an enticing assortment of glazed donuts. Breakfast felt like a distant thought, leading me to approach the table for a sweet indulgence. Having never tasted coffee before, I found it was the sole drink available, which compelled me to fill a Styrofoam cup with the strong, bitter brew. This moment provided an excellent opportunity for me to practice the process of slowly sipping the coffee while enjoying just enough donut to soften its harshness. This approach helped me feel more like an adult among my peers at that communal table.

Several months later, my second lesson presented itself with the onset of winter in South Dakota. In the 1950s elementary building, my music room was oriented north, featuring an entire wall of aluminum-framed windows. With the chinking long absent, the frigid northern winds would whistle through the frames, forceful enough to blow the music off the piano. My fingers grew numb, making it difficult to play along with the young singers from Corsica. To cope, I decided to bring a cup from home and fill it with coffee from the lounge, allowing me to warm my hands over the cup between songs. This strategy worked briefly, but the coffee cooled too quickly to be effective. Thankfully, my mother gifted me a cup warmer for Christmas, which allowed me to set my cup on a small burner, keeping it warm throughout the morning—an ideal solution.

Throughout the year, I discovered the pleasure of sipping coffee to heat my core. Playing the piano made it difficult for me to eat, so I gradually became accustomed to the strong, unsweetened flavor of black coffee without a sugary dessert. With different teachers supplying the lounge with coffee, I was exposed to a range of brands and flavors. I found myself really appreciating the milder options typically labeled as "Morning Blend." I embraced black coffee entirely, not adding sugar or cream until I relocated to Vermillion for graduate studies.

In order to finance my Master's in English Literature, I began working as a barmaid at Robbie's Little Casino in Yankton. My shifts extended until 1:00 AM, meaning I wouldn't return to my apartment in Vermillion until around 2:00. With morning classes commencing at 9:00, I resorted to brewing my own coffee to help me stay alert. I continued using the same brands I had loved in Corsica, becoming increasingly reliant on caffeine as the days went by. Fortunately, my routine did not result in any negative effects on my health.

After completing my first semester, I began working as a teaching assistant. This position not only covered my tuition fees but also offered a small stipend to assist with living costs. As a result, I was able to stop working weekdays at Robbie's, which allowed me to restrict my trips to Yankton to just the weekends, ultimately helping me save on gas expenses. With the additional free time, I often found myself in the teaching assistant’s office situated in a charming historic sorority house, where I established several new friendships while devoting many hours to grading papers and enjoying coffee. It was through these new friends that I came across my first coffee shop, Cafe Brule. With my newfound funds, I was able to indulge in this latest trend without worry.

After a busy day of teaching, my fellow teaching assistants and I would gather at Cafe Brule, a local gem known for its cozy atmosphere and artisanal coffee creations. At first, we ordered from the wide array of flavored coffee, but then the barista introduced us to fabulous new coffee blends that tantalized our taste buds. From the exotic Cardamom Latte, which balanced the rich flavors of espresso with a delicate hint of spice, to the decadent Nutella Mocha, swirling chocolate and hazelnut bliss into a creamy concoction, each sip was an adventure. The cafe buzzed around us, but we were lost in our own world, marveling at how these exquisite drinks made our usual coffee routine feel extraordinary.

Throughout my professional journey, I encountered each new school holding my beloved cup of coffee, representing the milestones I had achieved. This odyssey was closely linked to the lessons gleaned from my experiences in the classroom, those late hours spent grading papers, and the innumerable discussions held over that previously unpalatable drink. Coffee emerged as the unifying thread of my career, reflecting both the obstacles overcome and the accomplishments attained. I came to understand that coffee encompassed more than just a morning ritual; it signified connection—bonds forged, cherished moments created, and a fervor sparked.

After a fulfilling career across diverse schools, I took my retirement last year, feeling uncertain about what lay ahead. Yet, with optimism in my heart and a travel mug in hand, I set off toward the horizon, eager to discover where my next journey—coffee accompanying me—would take me.