Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Stale Coffee and Cigarettes. (Ramblings)

 

Folgers to Starbucks. Camel to Marlboro. Stale coffee and cigarettes are the official aroma of life. The lingering scent of business deals, office meetings, break-time, the morning ride on the train. The smell of 6am. Ya know, those types of mornings where you JUST make it out of bed? The essence of working on papers late at night. Especially when the deadline is just 2 hours away. 

On my desk are stale coffee rings and cigarette ashes. (metaphorically speaking of course.) Who knew writing about stale coffee and cigarettes would be such a hard task? 

Such a repulsive smell. On the way home from work. Rush hour. Close quarters on the bus. I'm sandwiched between the smell of stale coffee and cigarettes. A hard day at work reduced to the pungent odor of cafe Ole and Marlboro lights. 


On the skin of old ladies who drive battleship-esque Cadillacs and Buicks; wrinkled, aged. It's their perfume. Forget Nordstrom or Bloomingdales, its only $ 6.50 a pack and $ 2.50 a cup. 

At the same time. It is one of the few things in our world that transcends upper and lower class social rankings. People of all walks of life smoke and drink coffee. 

They also wear the stench of...Stale Coffee and Cigarettes. 

-TLG/MTFZ 

1 comment: