Joe, Java, Mud.....its all Coffee to Me

  Is it true? Is the best part of waking up Folders in your cup? I believe most people would agree that coffee in general is one of their morning beverages. Part of my usual morning routine includes coffee and Facebook. Every morning without fail there will be various posts in many formats regarding the importance of coffee in assisting people to not only wake up, but also to function in some so sort of civilized and non violent manner.
I am chuckling as I write this because I can relate.
  When I was growing up coffee was a drink for adults only. I woke up most mornings to the scent of coffee brewing in the kitchen, and my favorite aunt and uncle kept a fresh pot all day. I think they had to buy a new coffee pot every year because they wore them out so quickly. Because of my personal experiences with coffee I always viewed it as the all American drink that was consumed either within the home, at a restaurant with dessert, or out of a thermos while hunting, fishing, or cutting fire wood on a chilly morning. As a small child most people used a percolator on the stove top to brew their coffee making it boiling hot. Daddy would pour it out of his cup and into a saucer, then swirl it around to cool it and slurp it from the saucer.

 Imagine my surprise when I discovered that coffee was not only an Arab drink (Yes, I am always the last to know, you probably already knew this), but also a drink made popular in the sixteenth century by Muslims. They actually started the first coffee houses. According to The National Coffee Associations web site coffee got its beginning as a beverage in Ethiopia when a farmer noticed the behavior of his goats after they ate the berries of a coffee bush. This is probably true if you know anything about goats. But then it spread to the Arabian Peninsula and it would never again be a simple "tea".

"Its popularity was perhaps due, in part, to the fact that Muslims, forbidden alcoholic drink by the Koran, found coffee's energizing properties to be an acceptable substitute."

"The popularity of the coffee houses was unequaled and people frequented them for all kinds of social activity. Not only did they drink coffee and engage in conversation, but they also listened to music, watched performers, played chess and kept current on the news of the day.  In fact, they quickly became such an important center for the exchange of information that the coffee houses were often referred to as 'Schools of the Wise.'"  ~ The National Coffee Association

  Although coffee came to the new world in the late 1600's, it never really became popular until after the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
  In early America Ben Franklin and others would hang out in Pubs to engage in conversation and plan the future of our country. I am pretty sure they weren't consuming tea or coffee, however many important decisions were made throughout all of history while sharing in some type of beverage that provided an instant link between the persons, and opened the door for the sharing of ideas and opinions. Many people have discussed how to handle a dilemma while sharing a cup of coffee at the kitchen table.
  What about our health? Web MD says coffee in moderation will help ward off many things from Type II Diabetes to some forms of cancer. According to other resources such as Living Strong, coffee can have negative effects on your cholesterol, blood pressure, and cause caffeine addiction, to name a few. I think with everything moderation is the key and if we make smart choices we will be able to reap the benefits of all consumable foods and less likely to suffer from the negative aspects.
  Either you love coffee or you hate it, but to think of it not being a part of our society is unimaginable. Despite its beginnings far far away, the uses for coffee have changed little and I will always consider it the all American drink as its use here is as old as America itself.