Once, a student asked me to explain "dreary" to them. I listed a few synonyms, and that seemed to clarify things. I wish they'd asked me today because then I could've dramatically gestured toward the window and said, "THIS... is dreary."
Indeed, it was a dreary day: dark, cloudy, cool and rainy in that sputtery, indecisive way that carries neither the excitement of a storm nor the refreshment of a mist. In other words, this
was a textbook Washington day. It brought back feelings of home, but not in the positive manner that a familiar smell or sound might. Instead, it brought me back to the dark, dreary days of Washington winters, where all I really wanted to do was settle down in a chair with a book (or at that time in my life, more likely a video game) and a cup of coffee.
I think that God created coffee and inspired mankind to develop espresso specifically for days like today. This is the kind of day best spent in a coffee shop, if one can manage. The kind of day where one will feel the most joy by appreciating the warmth and comfort of a quiet seat by the window while watching platoons of umbrellas marching in haste to unknown destinations. Armed with a steaming mug, one will find that even a dreary day takes on a brightness and color of its own.
I'm beginning to understand why all the major coffee-shop franchises began in Seattle.
No comments:
Post a Comment