The coaster sits in a set, atop and below its fellow mates, or side by side, nestled away somewhere hidden and innocuous. Nobody notices them, and if they do, its with a hint of disdain, at the functional piece of pretension, which is just one more way the host can control the environment around you.
Then there are guests, friends, family it doesn’t really matter. They shuffle around. They sit they stand. They chat quietly with one another, waiting, but nobody really knows what for.
And then the kitchen door opens and there is the host with a tray laden with the finest beverages. Juices, sodas, seltzers and more, every refreshing treat that you can sip through a straw, all at the bequest of the patient guests.
But the coasters know what’s coming. They almost shiver with anticipation at the coming of their usefulness. As the glasses of cold and hot liquid are handed out, the host remembers, that beautiful table top, the arm of the couch, these surfaces are vulnerable to sills, heat and condensation. Suddenly, the coasters aren’t so innocuous anymore.
And so the host grabs up the coasters, distributing them along with the cups, placing them as the one thin barrier between the perfection of their home, and the unsightly stains that are sure to arise otherwise.
As the coasters spread throughout the space, they lend their colors to the room, taking on a prominence that is bellied by their diminutive stature. They are suddenly a net of color, a wide spread tapestry of tone that spreads across the space in subtle but noticeable patterns.
Now they are the center of attention, or at least the center of the periphery, as people are forced to attend to them, forced to notice them every time they lift their glass, every time they set it to land back on the pad. They are suddenly an interactive and important part of the experience.
Then afterwards, after drinks are done and conversation has dwindled, it is time to wipe them down, gently, ore sometimes even to toss them out. They’re use spent they are stored away wherever they go, forgotten once more, at the end of their functionality, essentially relegated to obscurity.
And yet these stalwart coasters remain ever ready, teeming at the bit, awaiting that not so far off day when they will be called back to the service of mankind, in the defense of perfection.
This fanciful article was penned by Jim Slate on behalf of PebbleZ.com – manufacturers of a patient, dedicated, and highly elegant line of natural stone drink coasters. Their collection includes a huge selection of natural slate, marble, onyx, fossil, and gemstone beverage coasters, as well as a wide variety of natural stone home accessories and decorative products.