Better the old-fashioned way

The last two centuries have been ones of great change for mankind. When I was born, in the middle of the 20th century, few imagined that it would be possible to reach the moon, land on it and walk on its surface.

My grandmother died doubting that it was a reality, she saw it a thousand times on TV and said it must be "some camera trick", like those seen in the movies. She would have been amazed at the things that exist today.

The truth is that in our time knowledge grows at an exponential rate, science and technology never cease to amaze us with their inventions, nothing is safe, everything is changing, and the desire to replace the creations of nature has become an obsession ...

Recently I met my friend John, we hadn't seen each other for a long time. He was in very good spirits and I invited him to have a coffee in a nice coffee shop located near the lake, where it is possible to talk quietly on an outdoor terrace with a spectacular view.

We talked for a long time about our families, John was surprised that I was already a grandfather, I did not know that my oldest son had a child. He asked me about my job and I told him I was retired, he was still running his lab. John is a famed chemist in the food industry.

I knew John was a great lover of coffee and asked him how he liked the one he was drinking. He waved his hand in approval and replied exquisite. He looked at the cup carefully, brought it to his nose, closed his eyes and told me that soon it would be a thing of the past.

—What do you mean John...? I asked intrigued...

—This, this cup, this black liquid...All this will be a thing of the past...

—You mean there will be no more coffee...?

—I don't know if coffee will disappear, John began... I don't know if it will be able to resist the upheavals caused by climate change...

In my company we are anticipating that possibility...We have been working for some time on a synthetic product that instead of being inhaled, can be sniffed....
With my research I have been able to isolate the neurotransmitters that stimulate the areas of the brain that receive the signal of the smell and taste of coffee. In a few days we are going to offer a product that will change everything. There will no longer be any need to have machines to process coffee, no one will waste gas or electricity to prepare a cup of coffee. Now you can have the same sensations just by inhaling a little powder through your nose... Don't you think it's wonderful, to be able to feel the taste and aroma of coffee anywhere and at any time...?

—Well, you amaze me, I answered... And what about this...? The ritual of getting together with friends to have a good cup of coffee, to feel the warmth of the cup, the hot liquid in the mouth, the smell permeating the nose. What's going to happen to that, John?

—Surely people will find other ways to share and enjoy this new coffee... By the way, we are asking for volunteers to test the product, I would like to know your opinion... What do you think?

—The truth is that it makes me curious... Tell me when I go to the test...

We finished our conversation and John summoned me to his laboratory; in two days I would know the new product...

The wait became interminable, I was very anxious for the moment to try it...

John had told me to go in the middle of the morning and had recommended me not to drink any coffee since the previous afternoon, that way I could better appreciate what was being offered.

I arrived at the lab and John took me to a small room, in the center was a wooden table, on it a small glass container with a label showing a mixture of beans and what could be interpreted as ground coffee.

He poured me a half spoonful on a small porcelain plate and handed me a small plastic tube, much like a straw. He instructed me to inhale two or three times gently through my nose...

With the first inhalation I felt something very tasty, in my mouth and in my nose I felt the taste and smell of coffee. The sensation was really pleasant...

Wow John, this is awesome, I said to my friend... It feels almost like drinking a cup of coffee. But the warmth on the tongue and the pleasant sensation of seeing the black liquid is missing...

We are just starting, maybe in a few years we will be able to incorporate those sensations you say, or maybe we won't need to, maybe people will get used to this and forget how it was before... John finished off...

I thanked him for inviting me and left. While I was walking I realized that I was anxious to find a coffee shop, I had a great desire to enjoy a cup of coffee in the traditional way...

I don't think at my age I can get used to that sniftable coffee. For this and a few other things I prefer the old fashioned way...

Thanks for your time.

images edited in photoshop.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version).

All your comments are welcome on this site. I will read them with pleasure and dedication.

Until the next delivery. Thank you.

The photos, the digital edition and the Gifs are of my authorship.

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