…that you can make coffee at home?  You don’t have to buy it at a cafe or doughnut shop!  Many grocery stores sell cans of roasted, ground coffee “beans.”  This black powder is not good to eat; but, if you spoon some into a paper filter and pour boiling water over it, you will get coffee just like the kind that you buy in cafes.  In fact, that’s how they make it themselves!  You may even find that the coffee that you make is fresher and less expensive.  One word of caution: don’t forget to place a cup under the filter to collect the coffee.  Otherwise, it will spill all over your floor: and nobody likes an untidy kitchen.

…that you are not the center of the universe?  It may seem that way, because you can see things all around you, no matter which way you turn.  But this is just an optical illusion: you can only be in one place at a time, and you will see things all around you wherever you are.  In fact, other people see things that way too, and they’re not all the center of the universe, are they?  You see, the universe is very large and sprawling, and doesn’t really have a center.  You can still insist that it can have a subjective center, and behave as if you were in that important position, but then nobody will want to be your friend.

…that you can purchase things with cash?  Our federal government, in Washington, D.C., issues bills and coins that can be used just like a credit or debit card.  Some people even prefer them, because you can use them without paying fees or interest.  They have also been decorated by professional artists, with portraits of politicians, religious mottoes, pictures of eagles and pyramids, and other comical designs that you can look at while waiting in line at the checkout counter.  Remember, though, that if you pay with cash, the cashier keeps the coins and bills, and you cannot have them back.  But don’t be upset: you can always get more.

(Posted by Doug Skinner)