Love, Caffeine Addiction or Something Else?

What is really happening when the focus in a relationship shifts to coffee shops? 

Something may be amiss! Over time, there are just too many cups of coffee at the coffee shop, for this to be regarded as a simple happenstance.

"Is this a coffee addiction, or is there something else going on?" a curious woman asks the waitress in a coffee shop, with respect to her spouse, who virtually lives for his coffee. "Is that man really in love with me?"

"I don't know," she replies. The waitress is far too busy serving coffee to customers in the coffee shop to answer all of their questions. Sometimes, silence states the unstated.

"Let's go to the coffee shop," her spouse says, repeatedly.

"Yes, dear," is her typical response.

This phenomenon is re-occurring over and over again, all around the world. And thus, the wife in question begins to wonder what is really going on.

"Should I be concerned?" she asks herself, as she quietly sips on her coffee while seated across from, or beside her spouse. She knows that coffee has always been potentially addictive in nature and that recently, it has become even more so over the last few decades, with a dramatic increase in the number of thriving coffee shops.

She also knows that almost everyone loves having a good cup of coffee, but that does not necessarily mean 'coffee shop' coffee. Many loyal and dedicated spouses love waking up to a hot cup of coffee, or enjoy one at mid-morning in their own homes with their spouses, other family members or close friends. Others simply like to start a day at work with a good cup of hot coffee, or have a mid-morning break with a cup of coffee accompanied by a fresh bagel, hot out of the oven. Donuts and coffee go well together too, many will attest.

Does it always have to be coffee at the coffee shop?

There is a certain degree of ambience in most coffee shop settings, where hundreds of people enjoy drinking coffee alone and with others, or spending quality time with someone special like a spouse or a friend. It does not seem to matter whether they are drinking regular coffee, a chocolate latte, or other unique coffees like those made from freshly ground, Jamaican coffee beans. Different nationalities enjoy culturally specific coffee like Italian espressos, or other exotic specialty coffees, all of the time.

Sharing something as simple as a cup of coffee with others in general, is one step towards building strong, positive relationships. Many potential marital relationships begin when two people share coffee and swap their unique life stories.

Coffee is still relatively affordable as a social luxury that the majority of spouses can enjoy together. But, when coffee shops have to be visited at odd times of the day or night, repeatedly, any spouse may start to wonder about his or her significant other.

"What is my spouse really stating by going to the coffee shop for coffee, all of the time?"

"I love coffee and my spouse, but is he otherwise engaged?"

"Maybe this has something to do with business?"

Checking up on a spouse at the coffee shop now and then, might be a good idea.

"I will just have to have a coffee with my spouse today," might help to rescue a potentially disastrous marriage, but then maybe not.

Addiction is addiction. Love is love and something else may be anything other.