Coffee is amazing. Not just the black stuff you drink, but the grounds themselves. I hearken back to my Big Sis’s soap making days. She used to create colorful bars of perfumed soaps in all shapes and sizes. But my favorite was always the coffee ground soap. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective.
Peel an onion. Wash with coffee ground soap to get rid of the lingering scent. That alone was enough to keep a bar on my kitchen counter at all times. And yet, I never thought outside the coffee can with this until a co-worker came in with a problem.
She’s a farmer’s wife and happened to unload a truck full of pigs one morning before school. In her rush, she forgot to wash her hands with lemon juice, apparently an old stand by, pig-smell eraser.
I suggested she wash her hands with coffee grounds–a staple in any church. Viola! No more pig.
In this way, coffee grounds are almost like a super hero. Yo, Coffee Ground Boy, come wipe out this offending smell.
Writers can learn a lot from Coffee Ground Boy.
- We could know our strengths, talents and limitations–and how they complement each other. For instance, coffee tastes good, perks up a lagging morning and is great at eradicating unpleasant scents. This is a fabulous bonus for CGB. He is in virtually every household, ready to assist in whatever way he can. As a writer, I’m usually good for 800 word passages, and yet I strongly desire to publish longer pieces. The solution: shorter chapters and daily blogging.
- We could be ready for action. Instead of waffling over stale passages, we could swoop in, cut them out and move on to the next crisis. Imagine if CGB wiffle-waffled over what to do? Should I offer my services to the beautiful MC with the mild onion smell on her hands? It’s not really that bad and it might not turn off Mr. HotPants. Things could turn out okay on their own. Hello, we’re writers. Okay is not good enough. Not for super heroes or manuscripts. Get in, get on with it and get it done.
- We could be accepting of change. CGB has many disguises and he allows us to dress him to suit our needs. He doesn’t balk when I fill my mug with hazelnut creamer. Instead, he inherently knows that some like it black, others like half and half and still more prefer a dash of cinnamon on top. As written the first time or the fifth time around, our manuscripts are not perfect. Let’s put on our big girl panties and thick skin. There is nothing wrong with allowing others to help hone our java so it is more palatable.
- We could spread the love. Even the smallest bag of coffee goes a long way. Five scoops equals ten cups of brew. Ten. Imagine the lives we could touch if we opened ourselves up to the writing community. If we engaged in literacy projects. If we helped out at events. If we wrote encouraging comments. If we were more secure in ourselves and didn’t cut down other writers or slam rejecting agents. CGB would be proud of our big hearts and our accepting natures. After all, even he knows that Lemon Juice has a place in this world too.
Out of curiosity, how else have you used coffee grounds in your life?
As a writer, which of these super hero lessons resonates with you and why? If you had to add to the power of Coffee Ground Boy, what other tips could he give us on our writing journies?
Thanks for indulging in my whimsy!
Words from the Woods 