Aromatic Gasses

Recently, a friend let me borrow his coffee grinder. This opened my world to this beautiful thing known quite simply as the coffee bean. Right now, I have single of of these dark brown nuggets resting on my laptop. My olfactory is basking in the aroma emanating from this single bean.

Over the last several years, I have become quite fond of Starbucks. Before that time, I would have choked at even the thought of spend severaling dollars on a cup of coffee. However, it is so much more than the coffee. It is about the experience:

That famous green circle is visible in the distance. The thought of a warm caffè mocha forces the car to turn off the highway and find a place in the parking lot. Upon entering the store, an employee offers a friendly “hello” and the appealing smells of specialty coffee and baked goods permeate the olfactory system. Peering up at the menu board, a separate language – a coffee language – greets the eyes. Upon receiving a grande cup of mocha, corner chairs and table offer an inviting place to relax and chat with friends. The place offers the opportunity to relax for a few minutes and escape from the fast-paced world outside.

This interest in Starbucks led me to start reading a book, The Starbucks Experience. In this book, I came across an interesting little factoid about the freshness of a coffee: "What defines coffee as fresh is that it actively gives of 3 to 20 times it volume in aromatic gas."

Wow, first, a question: How the heck do you measure the volume of aromatic gas given off by coffee?

Regardless, with this information, it is no wonder that the aroma of coffee has this ability to permeate through an entire room and provide such an aura of peace and contentment.

I started wondering about us. Sure, some of us give off plenty of aromatic gasses. I, for one, probably give off more than my fair share. However, more seriously, do I provide an aura that permeates a room and fills it with peace and contentment? The little coffee bean is such powerful reminder that something small can have a much greater influence than one might expect - 3 to 20 times more in the case of the bean.