Why is grinding fresh essential for delicious brewed coffee?

When I drink a coffee, I know that the beverage I love so much has a rich and unique history. The long, careful and arduous process that brought beans from a farmer, to a roaster, and finally to my cup, is not a process to be taken lightly. When I brew my coffee, it is the final step in a  journey that so many people have taken seriously enough to get me the best beans possible. I don’t really want to screw that up. Baristas and home-brewers have the special opportunity to transform the potential energy in beans, energy built up from growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, storing, and roasting. That deserves my respect. If I didn’t grind my beans fresh for each cup, I would lose the very essence of what I love so much about coffee. Its aromas would be depleted, its flavours muted. Coffee that is cared for will smell, taste, and really, simply, just be the best.