Barbara J. Hamby

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Born Too Soon

When my son was in kindergarten, we lived a few houses away from Ainsworth Pharmacy, on Northeast 30th. That store still had a soda fountain and sold coffee for five cents a cup at that time. Granted, it was a loss leader, but it drew people in. Since my then husband always had a 32-cup pot of coffee going, we didn’t buy it down at the corner, unless we just wanted to socialize.

Now I read that Starbucks in Seattle is trying an experiment and will be selling coffee for $1.00 a cup.  The dollar cup is smaller and contains coffee only, no frills. That may well be a loss leader also, but it appears to be a response to a drop in business.

I wouldn’t want to blame our obesity epidemic on Starbucks, but all the additives in their specialties certainly pack on many calories. As a former Seattleite, and an American, I realize it’s disloyal to dislike Starbucks’ coffee, but unfortunately, I do. So sue me. I’m not sure whether my taste buds or my psyche find it objectionable, but I prefer cheaper brands. Maybe it’s my trailer park background, who knows?

Anyway, that tidbit of news caused me to reflect, once again, on inflation. The price of Starbucks’ coffee is probably not even on the bottom of the list of worries for many Americans, especially those who are jobless and/or homeless.

Our news the past few frigid nights focused on temporary “warming” shelters for the homeless in Portland. I can’t help but comment on the person who complained vociferously about a church in her neighborhood taking in homeless who, she claimed, littered the streets with the Styrofoam cups they were given full of hot beverages to help keep them warm as they left in the morning. How about just putting out a few trashcans, lady?

Back when I lived down the street from Ainsworth Pharmacy, with a grocery store across the street, my yard was constantly littered with candy wrappers, cigarette butts, etc. tossed by people walking back to their homes. Sad to say, it’s the American way. Or at least the way of some of us.