it should be no surprise to you but — i quit my last job. i figured that if i had fundamental complaints about a work environment after only being there for two months … i needed to cash in on my probationary period and dip.

in 2020 there was a cacophony of applause for essential workers. nurses, postmen, cooks, sanitation workers, and McDonald’s employees were shrouded with enough love to suffocate them. presently, the value of these same workers is up for debate. according to the powers at be, their jobs don’t illicit the prestige that scarcity does. the absence of mounting student loans and the stress of paying them justifies working class people receiving poor treatment and even poorer wages and working conditions. it gives them energy to fan the flaming myth of an “unskilled” job.

working in coffee warrants welcoming a variety of customers. the flexers that wear their knowing coffee as though it were a personality trait. then there are the home baristas and novices, for instance, who gather that there isn’t much to steaming milk or pulling a shot. they expect that every coffee shop will have vanilla syrup or be equipped to drizzle silky caramel atop a cloud of whipped cream. according to them, there is no technical playbook or technical skills that a barista relies on to satisfy their requests.

a novice to coffee may not know that a flat white doesn’t exist. or the “success” of a macchiato and a cappuccino depends on how cold the milk is, a slight of hand with a wand and a pitcher, time, and instinct. baristas put “there’s no such thing as multitasking to the test” when we have to steam milk and pull shots and, and, and. communication is a necessity; and it isn’t just a matter of speaking. it’s maintaining eye contact with a guest when a glass breaks. it’s listening with care rather than the intent to respond. an odd question from a customer can be humbling experience in recalling information, especially if you want to learn more. i always want to learn more.

this all sounds pretentious. i know. add this to the pile of pretense in the coffee industry. i’d even entertain a debate about the necessity of daily trips to specialty and chain coffee shops. but i’d counter that paying for the experience of a barista’s expertise is a valuable expense. others may counter that “unskilled” jobs are as expendable as those that do them, to which i’d emphatically say: fuck you.