Don’t let tradition paralyze your mind. Be receptive to new ideas. Be experimental. Try new approaches. Be progressive in everything you do.
David J. Schwartz
A new coffee shop recently opened close to us in Orange Beach. If you read my blog you might remember that Richard loves coffee. Me? I hate it. Can’t even stand the smell of it. I love green tea and matcha or chai lattes. Different strokes.
Strange how things catch your eye. As I’ve said before I am not very observant. When we were in Magnolia Springs Richard was reading an article about that new coffee shop and brought it to my attention. Thanks Richard.
Now I don’t get controversial in my posts and I know I’m not from down here, just a snowbird, so shouldn’t really comment but this really rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn’t let it go. You may agree or disagree. We all have that privilege.
Apparently the coffee shop’s provocative name has created quite a stir with the city’s officials in Orange Beach who blasted it as inappropriate for children and even went as far as calling on residents not to patronize it. And what is that name you ask?
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii
https://badasscoffee.com/about-us/
Now before making your decision about the name here’s some background behind it. Or so I’ve read online.
https://www.royalkonacoffee.com/coffee-hawaii-history/
http://www.coffeetimes.com/burros.html
Legend has it that for generations donkeys were used to carry loads of coffee up and down the rugged hills in Hawaii as there were no machines to do this. The donkeys could be heard bellowing as they carried precious loads of coffee beans down the steep mountains of the Big Island in Hawaii. The people of Kona named these hard-working donkeys the “Bad Ass Ones” because of their reliably strong but stubborn nature in carrying their precious cargo.
This coffee shop’s brand (Bad Ass Coffee) says it embraces the historical and cultural significance of the donkey which hauled those coffee products.
The company reinforces this story in their shop. On the coffee shop’s wall there’s a visible placard near its entrance entitled, “The Bad Ass Legend” that explains the story of the hardworking donkeys. The story is also written on the back of coffee mugs, shirts, and the packaged coffee that is sold inside the coffee shop. Plus there’s a wall dedicated to the animal.
So that’s the background. Does the name offend me? Nope. Not at all. What offends and bothers me are comments made by some of their city council officials in articles that I read. I won’t name names. To be generous I suppose they’re entitled to their opinions no matter how antiquated they seem to me.
“… said he does not appreciate the use of foul language in public, and frowns upon foul language used in front of women and children.”
“ The only point I was trying to make is that our society has lowered the bar in what is acceptable with mixed company and kids around, and that it bothers me,”
“ In my day, when I was growing up, children did not say certain things, or they were at risk of getting backhanded by mom and dad.”
“The council is pretty much united in our disgust. I don’t think we’re prudes by any means. But why would I drive to a place with a name such as that with an 8-year-old in the car when I wouldn’t let (that name) come out of (the child’s) mouth? We’ve become sort of crude in accepting of that kind of garbage in this country.”
What? What? What? Really? I read it but I couldn’t believe it.
Are we still there? Mixed company? In front of women? Backhanding children? Good lord. Is that still the philosophy here? The antiquated ‘the poor delicate little woman can’t be exposed to this as she might get a case of the vapours’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vapours_(mental_condition) Really? Is that still the mindset down here? Seems it. Blows my mind. Totally infuriates me. Wake up. Or should I say “Wake up and smell the coffee.”. (Just adding a little levity.) It is 2023.
At my opening I said, “Strange how things catch your eye.” Well a day after reading the coffee articles a friend posted the following on Facebook. How appropriate. Thankfully most of us are in 2023 and not back in the 1950’s.
I know this was a rant but I just couldn’t not address it. These are my thoughts. They may not be yours.
An oldie but a goodie.
The Times They Are a Changin’ – Bob Dylan
Take care and stay healthy.
As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.
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