The Cup That Goes Cold While You Talk

The surest sign of a good afternoon at our tables is a full cup that has gone cold. Two people sat down, started talking, and simply forgot it was there.

That forgetting is the healthy kind. Attention went entirely to another person: following a story, asking the next question, remembering what was said ten minutes earlier so the reply makes sense. Conversation asks a lot of the head, and it asks gently.

For people who live alone, those long talks may be rare. It can be worth arranging them on purpose, the same day each week, with the same friend or neighbor. A standing date removes the effort of planning and keeps the habit going through busy months.

Order another pot if the first one went cold. The talk was the reason you came, and the second pot is simply a way of keeping the chairs a while longer.