Buc, France 1997
“Veux tu du café?” asked the cashier.
Assuming she asked if I was paying for my food from the cafeteria, I pointed to my tray and replied in the best French I could muster. “Oui.” Yes
"Non, non," she said, lightly waving her finger back and forth, "Est-ce que tu prends un café?"
My friend and colleague, Thierry, behind me in the line, explained that the cashier was asking if I wanted café or coffee after the meal.
At the time, I was an engineer for GE Medical and had been sent to France to onboard a new team. While the journey had been enjoyable, jetlag had taken its toll, and a mid-afternoon coffee seemed like a blissful remedy.
“Oui, café.”
There was no way to know at that moment how much my life would change as a result.
The Magic Elixir
After lunch, Thierry led me to a small smoked, filled area with tiny standing tables. It was my first exposure to an espresso bar.
Thierry walked up to the counter, held up two fingers and said to the barista, “Deux expressos, s'il vous plaît.”
He presented us with two tiny cups, each filled to the brim. I took a sip. Almost immediately, my weariness eased. This wasn’t coffee; this pleasant yet slightly bitter liquid was a magic elixir.
A New Passion
For the remainder of my time in France and on every return trip, the answer each day was, “Oui, café.”
Since that first sip so long ago, I’ve enjoyed, by my estimate, over 30,000 shots of espresso.
Most of those were made and enjoyed at home.
The Joy of Little Things
Part of living out our Ikigai is taking joy in little things.
Though a little thing, the ritual of making espresso is a rewarding experience that brings a sense of satisfaction and pleasure.
Even the cup can be a little thing you enjoy. Like in the picture above, I have a set of ‘rocket’ espresso cups. They are fun and add a little something extra to the daily routine of drinking coffee.
You can see many examples of finding joy in the little things in this story.
In trying something new
Enjoying the richness of an experience
In selecting fun or special elements like a rocket cup
Making something routine like daily coffee a special moment
Going deeper in understanding how something is made and prepared
Great story and even better storyline. What is magic in life that provides rocket fuel? I value building real relationships within different parts of my life of business, personal and spiritual growth!
There are many a little things of my growing up years that I miss now, like team cooking the special weekend meals with mother and my sister.😍