Mustache (mug) Rides, Five Cents

Mustaches. They are enchanting things. A well groomed mustache is not only pleasing to the eye, it sends a message. It says hey, I can grow hair on my upper lip and posses the fortitude and commitment necessary to maintain and display it for the world to see. I've been a huge fan of the mustache for many years now. I'm devoted to handlebars and have a certain fondness for Dali.

My affinity extends to the venerable mustache organizations like The Handlebar Club - raising the (handle)bar since 1947 - and the Svenska Mustaschklubben in Malmo. Through their information I have learned about the wonderful world of mustache accessories such as mustache snoods, curlers, wax and cups.

The mustache cup was invented in 1830 by Harvey Adams, a genius in his own right. The cup features a mustache guard, a ledge, shielding the delicate and pampered mustache from liquid. Genius! Ingenious! Since that time the mustache cup has had many incarnations, the latest being a modern mug. We had little need for the carefully crafted and elaborately decorated cups of old, but the mug is perfect for the gentleman on the go. I recently purchased one at the East Ohio St. Goodwill, and knew exactly who needed it.

I am, by nature, a giving person, and so I presented the mug to a neighbor named Colin. I can almost always find him at Buena Vista Coffee in the War Streets. He was delighted to recieve the mug, and I was happy to give it to him...but I was a bit saddened. I will never need a mustache mug, snood, curler or wax, because I will never have a mustache. It is perhaps the great tragedy of my life.

I said goodbye to the mug and drank my own coffee from a plain old cup, sitting outside the cafe and enjoying the weather. I have no mustache. I never will. But I have a great coffeeshop withing walking distance, strange and lovely neighbors, and a Goodwill that never fails to surprise me. For these things I am grateful.