Mr. Coffee
Originally uploaded by lawmummy.
I’ll admit that I’ve been swept up into the hype – to some extent – that technology makes everything better.
Except coffee.
I bought a Mr. Coffee coffeemaker (much like the one pictured) about two years ago. We needed something at the office to replace our French press; it was becoming increasingly difficult to make a large pot of coffee for clients with the French press. Mr. Coffee was cheap, it was nearby (at Kohl’s), and frankly, the name makes me giggle, which is always a good thing.
And then I was wooed by Cuisinart. It was fancy. The carafe was bigger. It was brushed steel instead of shiny. It had all kinds of features. I was drawn in.
We got the Cuisinart and left the Mr. Coffee to flounder in Chris’ office, only used occasionally when he wanted “just” decaf.
At first, it was okay. And then it wasn’t. Coffee would inevitably pour out all over the place during brewing. Now I like the smell of coffee just as much as anyone – but not on my floor.
Usually, you could make adjustments and get it to brew properly. But not yesterday. Coffee poured all over the place. It was a real coffee emergency.
I came in today – sleep-deprived as ever (Amy is going through her separation anxiety phase where all of the sudden she won’t remain in her room by herself when going to sleep) – and demanding coffee. In desperation, I pulled out Mr. Coffee. And, to my delight, it worked. It brewed a damn good cup of coffee.
And it made me think.
We, as a society, are really quick to grab onto the next big thing. As adults, we somehow equate shiny and new with better. But little kids aren’t like that. My youngest child loves to play with her older sister’s toys – without complaint that they aren’t new. And Katie will watch the same episode of Dora until I have “Turn the wheel, Isa!” going through my head over and over. Kids like familiarity. They like the comfort of what’s been proven to work.
So, why aren’t we like that? Why are we convinced that there’s always something better in the pipeline?
Why didn’t I just trust good ol’ Mr. Coffee?
