Go ahead--demand the good coffee

Why it's a good thing to appreciate the finer things in life

I have made a bit of a reputation for myself at work for being a coffee snob. Upon my arrival, I urged the church to upgrade the Sunday coffee from Folgers to a freshly ground local blend. The coffee is much pricier, to be sure—but it tastes so much better.

I admit to being a total coffee snob. I do not drink coffee on an airplane or from a gas station. Even though I am a regular enough coffee drinker to have a caffeine dependency, I would choose a caffeine headache to drinking bad coffee. I packed my own coffee maker and coffee when I went away to drill so I would not be subjected to the cheap Air Force Inn coffee packet, I pack my own coffee grounds when I go to camp, and I strategically time my flights around when I will have access to Starbucks or my own coffee travel mug. Ridiculous? Yes. But stay with me here.

Coffee is a small pleasure that brings me a disproportionately amount of happiness. We all have them, but they look different for all of us—indulgences that are not actually…