Perfection. What is it? Many people strive for perfection without ever reaching it and usually get burned in the process. Others tell you to not even bother or give you some inspirational quote like "Shoot for the stars and even if you miss you will be among the stars." I find all this to be misinformation, even if it is meant to be helpful advice from a friend. What I say is aim for perfection head on, point blank. Period. Do not settle for good enough. Ever. The key difference in this approach as opposed to the failed process of perfection many people experience is knowing how to define perfection. Once you define it, it becomes attainable and much easier to do so. Failure is always in the cards, but it should not be a deterrent or an option in any case. Use it as a lesson on the road to perfection.
Many of my fondest childhood memories revolved around my back yard. Barbecues, hide-and-seek, climbing trees, etc. However, one of my most cherished memories revolves around coffee.
During the summer, my grandparents would make Armenian coffee after dinner served with chilled watermelon. I would sit on my grandparent's laps and would grind the coffee with an old brass coffee grinder. One of those old school, hand-made ones with the etched patterns on the side. This grinder would turn beautifully roasted coffee beans, with their intoxicating aroma and oily sheen into an even more aromatic powder. As a five year old, this was the coolest thing ever. Put beans in, turn handle like crazy, get powder out of the bottom.
What was most memorable though was the stories that I would be told while grinding the coffee. Stories about current events, stories about the past, anecdotes, and even jokes. Once I finished grinding the coffee, my grandmother would take the resulting powder and go back into the kitchen. A few minutes later she would return with a tray of demitasse cups filled with a rich smelling black liquid. At this point in my life I had no interest in the foul taste of coffee but it was more than made up for with the chilled and deliciously sweet watermelon. The stories would continue and the coffee would disappear with only a thick layer of sludge remaining in the bottom of each cup. After everything was cleaned up we would then go home and be put to bed.
In these moments we had all found perfection.
Fast forward seventeen years to today. I take out the same coffee grinder (my grandparents later went on to give me as pre-ground coffee became king) and grind some coffee to make before I head into work. Upon inspection I realized that the coffee grounds were not ground to the fineness required for Armenian coffee. Had we been drinking coffee made with these imperfect grounds for all these years? I took out a wrench and after some gentle coaxing the adjustment screw turned and I tighten the burr grinder. For almost 25 years, this had not been changed. I threw in some more coffee beans and ground them up. Perfect. The beans were transformed to a powder as light as snow and as smooth as silk. It made for an amazing cup of coffee to start off my day.
In the beginning, this grinder created perfection. Later, it would go on to create perfection once more. Perfection is what we make of it. Whether your definition of perfect is an ethereal croissant, a flawlessly performed concerto, or an evening our with friends that lasts to 5 am in Boston -- it becomes possible once you have a firm grasp on what you consider to be perfect. So do not be afraid. Do not hesitate and conquer your Perfect. Define it and it will surely be yours.
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