The Solace & Stimulation of a Flat White on Election Night

 November 3, 2020, is as good as any to drink a flat white. It also happened to be Election Day here in the US. In fact, today, the day after the official voting day, is as tense as yesterday, as there is no winner declared yet.

There are many ways to deal with tension, but this tension has morphed into a collective existential crisis, an orgy of angst, an explosion of concern for the future of this country, and quite frankly, humanity itself.

How does one quell that type of tension? Well, the reality is that we are left to our commonly used devices---biking and walking; yoga and wine; listening to NPR or watching MSNBC; chatting and ruminating; praying and meditating; various types of social media interaction; or enjoying a simple evening walk with hot flat white lattes in hand. Last night, my friend, Dana, and I opted for that low-key approach.

While our approach may be considered low-key, a flat white is recognized as a high-impact type of espresso-based beverage. Specifically, a flat white is an espresso-based beverage with a high espresso-to-milk ratio and a thin layer of microfoam on top (which is qualitatively different than the megafoam that comes on a cappuccino). It has so little milk that it almost qualifies as virtuous (assuming you forgo the sugar).

Dana

A flat white is pretty much what it took to stay up most of the night. And, of course, drinking a flat white is a wonderful experience, because it’s espresso after all---with a thin dollop of frothy milk on top. One needs this type of liquid courage to get through these challenging days. 

Although my day ended with a flat white on November 3, 2020, it started like any other day---with a cup of regular joe (actually 3 cups). While taking solace in my morning coffee, I had occastion to take solace in the poem, "Election Promises," by Mark Belletini, which was shared by Reverend Florence Caplow (she/her/hers), the called minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign during an Election Day zoom call. I am sharing it here. Enjoy. 

Reverend Florence Caplow

                                



Comments

JucyJesy said…
Love this! Thanks for sharing.
Nicole Gray said…
Thanks for stopping by JucyJesy.
Crash Palace said…
Wonderful and enlightening as always!

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