I Love Coffee

Seriously...a well-made caramel latte or a big cup of strong Ethiopian coffee (black and sweet) is one of my favorite ways to start the day.  Right now, I'm sitting outside (freezing!  It's yard sale day and it's way to cold to be outside right now)...drinking my first cup of coffee in 10 days and it's glorious.

So why would I give up coffee for a week and a half?  Good question...started this way.  I was having a conversation with someone recently about addiction.  There are tons of stuff that we have around us that are not intrinsically bad.  Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, prescription meds, legal drug substitutes and even food are just a few of these.  Most people believe that there's no problem with having a glass of wine with dinner, but most would also say that something's wrong if you need a beer to start the day right.

So anyway, back to the addiction conversation...I happened to say (insert spiritual voice here):

"There's a problem if we need any substance (legal or otherwise) to help us feel normal."

And then it hit me...I was drinking somewhere between 30 and 36 ounces of coffee and  a couple sodas every day.  Is there anything 'wrong' with that?  Who knows?  But ultimately, I decided that it might be a good idea to take a break from the drug (yes...caffeine=drug).  Sara could tell you...the first couple days I was not very fun to be around...standard horrible headaches and irritableness.  That should highlight the issue that maybe it's not a great idea...or maybe stopping was the great idea :).

What's the point?  Just trying to reflect on the thought that maybe we shouldn't  be relying on stuff that has no real nutritional value to help us reach a state where people want to be around us.  I'm not going to stop drinking coffee...but hopefully with a little moderation from now on.  That'll do...