The Enlightenment

I am reminded of a regular at the second coffee shop I worked at when thinking about this age of literature. 

He was older, maybe in his fifties or sixties, and of a small stature but always immaculately dressed in crisp button-up shirts, ironed slacks, and a checkered blazer that was at least a size too large. His round glasses took up most of his face and his eyes were twice the size due to his lenses. Every Monday and Wednesday at precisely 4:55 pm he would come in and ask for a decaf Americano (a hot black coffee without caffeine for those unaware). The first few times I made his drink he would always watch the process like a hawk and ask repeatedly if it was decaf, if any sugar was added, if it was heated to the right temperature. While at first it was nerve-wracking having him breathing down my neck, it was something I came to expect. With his drink clutched between wrinkled fingers, he would walk over to the empty window seat and stare out into the busy parking lot with an intense expression for the next hour. From seeing his reflection in the glass it was as though he were contemplating everything and and anything during those sixty minutes, always silent and never speaking a word. Sometimes he would bring in books, but I could never quite catch a glimpse of what they were. 

The Enlightenment is described as the Age of Reason, one that emerged after a time of plague, political upheaval, and strict religious adherence. It allowed for the expansion of thought, and science but also criticism of religion. This regular reminds me of the famous Descartes quote "I think therefore I am"; always doubting everything and lacking preconceived ideas. This period, much like his decaf coffee, lacked the buzz of prior and post eras (at least in my opinion). Maybe it is my personal bias towards fantastical tales, but the literature of the time seemed to focus on more abstract, philosophical topics that brought more questioning and headaches than enjoyment from the reading. 

Of course, much like we are currently, they were experiencing extreme political upheaval as well as a shift in thinking. This can be likened to the younger Generation (Gen Z) declaring themselves free thinkers and abolishing the ideals and values of Boomers and Generation X. While they may not be voicing their opinions through lengthy written texts or being so wordy as those during the Enlightenment were, they are very much similar in that they are saying reason and individual thought and science hold more value than tradition- questioning those previously held truths. 

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Drink recommendation: The drink I think most embodies this literary period would have to be Yuenyeung  (Hong Kong Style Tea and Coffee). It is a combination of an 'old world' drink tea with the new age coffee. And fun fact, coffee houses actually came into popularity during the Age of Enlightenment! Of course the idea of mixing two distinct drinks seems almost sacrilege, but isn't that how the traditionalists viewed these enlightened thinkers: with horror, weariness, and as foreign oddities?