The morning cup of coffee (or two or three) that we share together, especially in the firehouse, has far more impact, meaning, and significance than we might ever imagine. Ask any retired firefighters, and they will affirm that it is probably one of the things that they miss the most. But seriously, those times of unfiltered conversation over bad coffee helped all of us grow and learn more than any outsider could ever imagine. Old-timers shared history, stories, insights, and accumulated wisdom from their time on the line. Younger members gave input that was fresh, creative, and sometimes so clear and crisp that they stopped the conversation dead in its tracks. To quote the old line, “I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me.”
What is unique to being an American firefighter is that the opportunity to experience those coffee table gatherings is constitutionally protected. Yep, the right to drink coffee is protected in our Constitution—well, not exactly, but, in a way, yes, it is. Firefighters should always remember that we swore to support, defend, and uphold the Constitution when we took our oath of office. In that most precious of documents is not a coffee amendment exactly but the right to association and the right to assemble. That is a big deal and one that has been threatened throughout history worldwide.
We all know that being able to get together over coffee in the house, during a conference, or during a union or an association meeting has been where some of the most significant innovations and ideas for our profession and our organizations have been conceived. I think we would all agree far more often than at the “Puzzle Palace” (aka Headquarters), where many of us spent our final years wishing we could get back to the front right seat. Without those unscripted and free-flowing discussions, arguably our profession would be in dire straits. When we come together with or without a reason and speak freely, things are said that we may have never considered before when alone.
Many years ago, a group of white-shirted firefighters led by Ray Picard and Ray Driscoll wanted to sit down together to hash out some things over some coffee that they all had going on in their respective departments. At this point in their careers, they had all ascended to the Mount Olympus of their departments, so they were together at a white-shirt-only conference. They mentioned to the senior fire gods that they were going to have this little meeting and they were promptly told no. They were told they could not meet without the senior fire gods’ permission, and they were not giving it. Well, they met anyway, and to show their defiance and courage, they took a photo with paper bags over their heads and sent it to the gatekeepers. And so the legendary “Baggers” group was formed. That group, in which I had the pleasure to participate, had no agenda, took no notes, and by design when I was a member never took a position or created anything of record. What it did do was allow freethinkers to speak their minds; it allowed people to share freely; it was liberating, and from that group came much good.
This ability to come together and freely exchange thoughts has helped not only firefighters but mankind as a whole. This protected right is in no small measure why the United States is the most innovative, industrious, and force for good in the history of nations. So, we swore to defend the right to have union meetings, association meeting, clubs, Baggers meetings, even coffee shops—that’s right, coffee again. You may be thinking, “Old Halton has lost it for sure this time. Coffee? Really? We owe a constitutionally protected natural right to coffee?”
It may surprise you to know that coffee has been one of the most banned and hated of substances by the “gatekeepers”—think politicians, governments, and ruling elites in history. Throughout history, those with power have tried to get rid of coffee. Coffee came into popularity in the 1500s, an Ethiopian plant; from the beginning, because of how it is produced, roasted, brewed, and so on, it brought people together, and when folks come together over coffee, they talk. They talk about everything—weather, kids, money, and politics/government.
What made coffee really threatening to the elites is that it does not make folks stupid or impaired like wine and beer. The elites don’t care if the little people get together and get drunk; not much comes from those gatherings, with a few notable exceptions (a tip of the hat to the Marine Corps and the F.O.O.L.S., both the product of gatherings at an alcohol-sponsored watering hole).
Coffee is a different animal, so from the 1500s on, different rulers tried to ban coffee and coffee houses—sultans, kings, all tried. Around 1655, the coffee shop known as the Oxford Coffee Club became the Royal Society, England’s science academy. Sweden tried five times to ban coffee as late as the 1800s; it wanted to shut down places where sober, intelligent freethinkers gathered.
Now gatekeepers hate it when us little folks, us peasants, get together and talk—even today, especially when we talk about them and how they are treating us. Next time you gather around that next cup of joe, think about all the struggles this wonderful beverage had to overcome and how many wonderful struggles it helped incite and encourage. When you sit down at the coffee table next time, enjoy that amazing brew; maybe give a little tip of the hat to that dark, wonderful drink that is responsible for a better world—certainly a better fire service.
