I believe in the simplicity of a latte because it indirectly represents the growth and passing of innocence. For some reason, we grow up thinking that any form of coffee is automatically tied to being an adult. But why is it that anything with the slight hint of coffee is immediately associated with anyone older than 16? I have two theories surrounding the subject. My first theory is something that I have come up with because it was a personal experience of mine. When I was about 11 years old, I was helping my mom cook breakfast in our cramped kitchen. I remember looking down at the white ceramic mug, on the counter, with the quote: “This school smells like broken dreams,” written in my mother’s handwriting. The light brown liquid inside the cup rippled as my mom bounced around the kitchen. I watched as the soft, whimsical clouds of steam danced out of the mug. When my mom turned her back to grab the carton of eggs out of the refrigerator, I quickly picked up the ceramic mug and carefully brought the liquid to my lips. I allowed it to dance across my lips before granting it the entrance into my mouth. As soon as the coffee touched my tongue, I literally gagged and spit it out. Not only did it taste disgusting, but it had burnt my tongue. However, I wanted more. Sip by sip, I had become more accustomed to this peculiar taste until there was no longer any liquid left in the mug.My first theory is this: kids begin to enjoy coffee after the first time they have it because it will literally burn all your tastebuds off. This allows the child-now-adult to become immune to the bitter taste of coffee. Hence allowing them to enjoy it more.
My second theory is something a little more pessimistic. My theory is that adults become so accustomed to the bitter taste and style of their own life that they unnoticeably  begin looking for the familiar taste and feeling in every detail in their lives. A majority of the population tries adding flavors and sweetness into their lives and their coffee to recreate the natural sweetness of the innocence of being a child. This isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, in the middle of October when it’s cold, I’ll go get a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and my mind will unconsciously think about playing in the piles of fallen leaves that had once been apart of the towering Oak in the front of my grandparent’s house. My theory starts of pessimistic but as the theory goes on it becomes sweeter, much like our coffee.
Whenever I taste the bitterness of black coffee my heart falls and I feel a deep sadness in my heart. To me, black coffee represents the last stage of adulthood. This can happen to someone at any age. It’s when your life becomes so dark and bitter that there is no return. I work in a coffee shop and I have made several observations about this topic. Most of the people that come into my shop, and get a black coffee look tired and unhappy. It seems that they could care less what coffee house they go into to get their same black coffee. They do it simply because they need to wake up and get going with the rest of their day. However, whenever someone comes in and orders an Almond Joy Latte or a Peanut Butter Mocha, they are receiving that familiar feeling of warmth of their innocence. And because of this feeling, I believe in the warmth and comfort of a Latte because it symbolizes the beauty of innocence and growing old.