I clearly remember what it was like for me when I first put fingers to keyboard and began to write on this subject. It was a new gig for me; the job, both unexpected and completely fortuitous, was offered to me by Mary C., my former boss and the one responsible for getting Destination Cafe off the ground and in business. At first, I remember experiencing a certain reluctance when it came to this job. In fact, at one point I remember recommending someone else, someone I thought at the time more suitable to the work! It goes without saying that I changed my mind and took the job. Fortunately, Mary was an extremely patient and understanding individual and overlooked my temporary insanity.
Once I finally began writing, it was clear that the gig was not as easy as it seemed. I wasn't nervous, exactly, but if you read the first few posts you might be able detect a certain awkwardness in the prose. (I don't know; maybe it's just me.) Certainly, my ability to grasp the ins and outs of caffeine was not what it is now. I was very much on a learning curve; I would research the subject I had chosen to write about (which largely consisted of doing searches on the computer), and then parrot it back using different words (to avoid the accusation of plagiarism). Essentially, I was a teacher who was learning his material as I went along: I was literally one or two steps ahead of my readers.
Maybe my anxiety stemmed from the fact that I realized how abysmally small was my knowledge of coffee (The first posts were exclusively about coffee and coffee-related matters.) There seemed no end to the amount of information available on the web. There were times when I felt a little overwhelmed by the plethora of data. But as time went on, I found myself enjoying the time I spent researching and writing the blog. I came to welcome the act of writing these posts with a cup of tea or coffee at my side. I soon became genuinely interested in the subject matter. Coffee was no longer just coffee: It came to represent so much more than just that hot drink we all take for granted. Coffee is a microcosm of human endeavor in general; it has played an important part in history and is also a significant cultural artifact. The fact that we take coffee for granted merely reinforces how fundamental coffee-drinking is to most of our lives.
Long-time readers will notice a few changes to Canada's Cafe Chronicles. About three years ago I started adding pictures to the prose, it having been painfully explained to me how important having pictures was to this sort of thing. I also recently changed the font I use to write the posts, at the recommendation of my friend Dave L. I have also begun including links to other sites that I use as source material. But I am always looking for ways to improve the end product, so I welcome any suggestions you may have related to this blog.
So have a great summer everyone, and may the beverage of your choice be the best possible!
2 comments:
I am certainly glad you are still at it Dale! This is a part of your character and such a positive accomplishment for you! Congrats and being a great blogger!
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