I entered into coffee two years ago with only a cursory knowledge of this fine beverage I've become so enamored with these days. I knew it was black, that it "tasted bitter", and that it was, in my mind at the time, a poor substitute for Mountain Dew. Fast forward to today; redistribution methods, TDS brewing measurements, gram scale dosing, pulped natural, and 9 bar are all terms that float in foggy cloud in mind. Ive pondered the effects of convex tamping versus flat piston tamping. I've chatted with Kyle Glanville briefly on the effects of separating the fines out of ground coffee to achieve clarity in extractions. I've talked with Scott Lucey on the possible results of clumping relating to espresso extraction for a prolonged period of time. I read JIMSEVEN religiously. So what's amiss?

I would hope that I'm realistic enough with myself to say that there may be infinite amount of information that could form a whole new level of understand and practice in pursuit of becoming a master of coffee. There are probably endless piles of test results that have yet to be compiled from Ernesto Illy's lab. Yet, if I may be candid, I find myself learning very little new in the way of coffee theory these days. Now, it may be that I'm not hanging out in Intelly L.A's lab every day staring in awe at what crazy idea they might be working out next or that there are only a handful of people here in Indiana that have even gotten past "milky way lattes", but I feel a little stunted lately. But this got me thinking.

I seem to devote a lot of time to this website for my own personal gain. I seem to spend a lot of time reading blogs and scouring the pages of BMag looking for my next new fix. And don't get me wrong; I find it wildly interesting and informational, but I am beginning to realize that information is effective for understanding and yet yields no wisdom for life with me.

My agitation techniques for french press will not teach me how to respect my wife and to love her fiercely enough to serve her and her best interests. My ability to pull a ristretto SO espresso with perfect streams at 6 seconds will never teach me how to be responsible and organized in my life or to help me understand the value of investing into others. None of this information was ever meant to do that; it was meant to brew great coffee.

My struggle, and maybe yours or someone you know, is that I spend so MUCH time learning how to become better at my job while spending a lot less time cultivating the practices of selflessness and servanthood that breed within me a wisdom for life. I find nothing wrong with being great at what I make my money doing, but I don't want my identity to be wrapped up in how much I do. I want people to know me as someone that they feel valued, appreciated, and cared for when they are with me. I want to maintain a perspective that values the lives of people not on their perceived usefulness for my informational growth, but as souls who are longing for connection and who hope, fear, despair, dream, love, ponder, and want people to know them for themselves.

It may have been time for me to "plateau" with my desire for information because it brought about desires for wisdom in my life. At any rate, the perspective demands some thought.