Java jive: Coffee is my cup of tea

Lessons from Everyday Life By Theodore Lewis

Bridgman, MI--I grew up in a home that didn't drink coffee. As an adult, I didn't outgrow my aversion to caffeine. It never interested me. As my career in healthcare developed in the Washington, D.C., area in the early 90s, I learned that coffee was a regular part of the daily routine for many of my colleagues, my business associates and most executives in the industry. But still not for me. 

Every morning, back in the day when hospital beds were at a premium at Washington Adventist Hospital, I would go to the Utilization Review Bed Inventory chalkboard in administration to learn where the most acute bed shortages were and which inpatients could be discharged so that patients waiting in the emergency room for a bed could be placed.

Ginny, a nurse assigned to this section, had great skill in managing this complex challenge each day, and I learned a lot from her. As she would discuss with the team which doctor they needed to call first, no decision would be made without at least two cups of freshly brewed coffee. At first, they would always graciously offer me some, but then, as they learned I didn’t drink coffee, they would go on.

I had my very first cup of coffee at 47. I was then president of the Fort Washington Medical Center in southern Maryland. Jeff Emerson, CEO of Health Plus, a health insurance company, asked me to meet him at Starbucks in Greenbelt, MD. When the CEO of one of the major insurance companies in your market asked you to meet him at Starbucks, you don't argue about the venue.

At this meeting, I was a duck out of water as I was totally unfamiliar with coffee and coffee shops. I had never been to Starbucks despite its immense popularity.

Looking at the menu, I was bewildered by the many choices that were foreign to me. Fortunately, one of the baristas helped me. I zeroed in on a cafe mocha because it had chocolate, which appealed to me.

Lo and behold, I loved this drink.

Not long after this, I moved to Louisiana and became familiar with the Community Coffee shops and the famous Café du Monde in New Orleans. After learning that decaf was available, I was hooked and started frequenting coffeehouses.

At Parkview Hospital in Brunswick, ME, I became a real fan of Melanie's skill. She was our beloved medical staff manager, who was the best at building relationships with our doctors. She always had every base covered. One day , I asked her about the funny-looking machine sitting where the coffee pot used to be. It was a Keurig machine, she said, explaining that it produced instant cups of freshly brewed coffee from small pods.

While I may be well-versed in the latest medical imaging equipment being showcased at the annual Radiological Society of America convention in Chicago, I was completely ignorant of the new coffee-making technology. Melanie learned that fresh coffee turned our doctors into happy campers.

When Sharon and I got married, I discovered her great love of coffee. She liked lots of cream in her coffee. I followed in her footsteps. While living in Brunswick and Freeport, our favorite coffee shop was at the LL Bean Flagship store downtown, where we could enjoy a hot cup of coffee while sitting by the window, watching tourists walk by.

Recently, Jennifer Tereas, a friend and former colleague from the SDA Clinic, and her husband went back to Guam for a visit from their home in Las Vegas. Almost every day during their trip, Jennifer would post a picture of her visit to Infusion, a popular coffeehouse in Guam. The pictures brought back great memories for me. Infusion was my favorite coffee place in Guam. Infusion is Guam's answer to Starbucks, offering great coffee and tea alongside excellent service. In my opinion, Infusion is better than Starbucks.

Recently, I found my new favorite coffeehouse in Bridgman, Michigan, where I currently live. Rising Kites Coffee is located on Lake Street in downtown Bridgman. Their signature brew is sourced directly from a small coffee farm in Guatemala.

In addition to a full-service coffee bar, they have a lounge area with comfortable chairs and several tables for those wanting to use their laptops while enjoying a delicious brew. During warmer weather, they have a neat backyard area where children can play.

What sets Rising Kites apart from other coffee houses I've been to is their unique mission. Rising Kites provides employment and related training to individuals with Down Syndrome and other disabilities.

When you walk into Rising Kites, you enter an environment where everyone is encouraged to see the gift that people with disabilities are to our world. This is a coffeehouse that says, "You belong here," and really means it.

Rising Kites Coffee, my new favorite coffeehouse, is truly the way the world should be.

Theodore Lewis is the former CEO of Guam Memorial Hospital and has a healthcare consulting business in Bridgman, MI. He is collecting stories about lessons learned in life and can be reached at theodorelewis@yahoo.com.

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