It’s Not the Coffee, It’s Who You Drink It With - by Colin Gawel

In the last week I’ve come across the expression “our country is being torn apart” many times and phrased many different ways. I thought since this is National Coffee Day and I myself own a small coffee shop, I would chime in briefly on why I still am hopeful about the USA.

Every morning at Colin’s Coffee in Upper Arlington, OH, a group of regulars loosely assembles around our coffee bar to figure out the world’s problems, talk sports and sip on something caffeinated. This group of folks consists of people all over the political spectrum: Left, right, moderate, crazy…..you will hear it all and react as such.

As you might imagine, during a week such as the Kavanaugh hearings (or a Buckeye football loss) emotions can run high and the debates can get a little heated. But you know what, that next day, the same folks come back and that discussion begins anew. Because here is a little secret for everybody: You can be friends with many people AND have differing opinions about politics. In fact, isn’t that a major premise our country is founded on?

So you can choose to drink your coffee while ranting on Facebook or sitting in the drive-thru listening to talk radio tell you how wrong EVERYBODY else is..

Or you can walk into a local coffee shop, meet some of your neighbors face to face and realize that even though you disagree over some ideas, there are many other topics you can agree on. Most folks are pretty good people once you get to know them.

After all, it’s not really the coffee that matters, it’s who you are drinking it with.

Colin Gawel owns Colin’s Coffee and plays in the band Watershed. He founded Pencilstorm and his favorite band is Cheap Trick.