Coffee Misperception

Discovery:

In an effort to save money and reduce waste, I often brew coffee at home and bring it with me to work in a travel mug. Because the mug I own is steel, I also keep a regular mug at work in case I need to warm my coffee in the microwave (I’m a slow drinker).

A few days ago, I had a jolting experience: as I poured the coffee from the metal mug into the regular one, I noticed that there were several tiny white cylindrical objects attached to the inside of the travel mug. Maggots! I was disgusted. I poured the coffee down the drain and rinsed the buggers down after it. I still felt a little creeped, so I drank a whole bottle of water to “wash” my throat out.

When I got home, I threw out the coffee grounds, washed everything thoroughly, and bought coffee at Starbucks for a few days. During this time, I wondered how the creatures had managed to infest a hot beverage, and why I hadn’t noticed them until after preparing everything. There seemed to be a gap somewhere, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

I finally built up the courage to attempt homemade coffee again last night. I inspected everything before I used it. No sign of maggot activity. When it was ready, I grabbed the jar of sugar from the shelf. As I scooped out a spoonful of sugar, I found the answer to my questions: nested in the dunes of sugar were tiny grains of rice. Some of them must have gotten into my coffee before. I hadn’t been drinking maggot coffee after all! A wonderful feeling of exoneration swept over me.

Now I’m blissfully sipping from my travel mug once again. But I haven’t overcome the trauma of my experience entirely. Every so often, I pour my coffee into my other mug and check for foreign objects.

I may never be the same carefree coffee drinker I once was. And it’s all because of something that wasn’t even there.