Most people that I know don’t seem to be able to function without the help of caffeine. I barely manage to get a good morning out of most until they have received their first hit. Coffee is definitely a “start the day” type of drink, it certainly does it’s job waking us up, just the perfect guzzle of gusto as we run around trying to coordinate our morning routines. Coffee is a must for a lot of us or it just ain’t happening, our brains don’t seem to function until we we get a breath chilled sip of that beverage of beans, ahhhh. Drinking coffee in the morning is second only to stepping out of bed, people go crazy for the stuff, I see it every morning with the zombie filled lines slumbering in zigzags and coffee shop parking lots infested with slow moving vehicles as they all jester to be the next to have their order taken and finally get on with their day. I get anxiety just thinking of having to idle my way through that every morning but eh? I don’t like coffee.
OK I said it, I don’t like coffee so I can’t appreciate the worldly need for a morning cup of joe. I like the smell but just can’t get pass the flavour, I have never craved a morning coffee, never had that insatiable lust for a double double. I drink tea and everyone laughs at me, well no they don’t, but it is a conversation piece where I do have to defend myself (some did laugh). Look, I grew up with my grandparents so I was having regular tea time as young as I can remember, my grandmother would have one at the ready every night at eight o’clock, I miss that sometimes but I have a lot of fond memories of those days.
If tea or coffee is not your thing, there are a lot of alternatives, way too many to mention. I have tried some of these other drinks like lattes, espresso’s and cappuccino’s to mention a few and they all have their hook. The specialty coffees tend to come at a higher cost but they also come with an assortment of milks, whipping cream, chocolate and there’s this thing that goes “whoosh”. So many whimsical handles and made up fancy coffee names that distort the fact that you are getting a heroin shot of caffeine, but would you look at that whip cream. How people get their caffeine has evolved over the years, there are coffee shops popping up all over the place and they all offer a variation of the same arsenal of addiction. These extended stay java shops are the perfect havens to pull off a good read, write the perfect post or just sit and chat over well, coffee.
Like most things that taste good, moderation is also important, too much can really hurt you and in some cases should’t be consumed late at night, screws up your sleep. People who suffer from anxiety have attributed coffee or caffeinated drinks as a trigger for episodes of manic or distress. People will always drink coffee, adults do it all the time but beverage companies have now targeted kids as a market for caffeine and energy drinks are the result. These drinks with their catchy flavours offer your average teenager a shot of caffeinated adrenaline for their marathon game night or maybe for a long cramming session the day before the test. It’s not good and parents really need to monitor what their kids are putting in their bodies, too much can really be harmful.
We all start our days differently but one common similarity is starting with coffee, there’s something ceremonial about it, I get it. Every morning people everywhere wake up and fill the pot, steep the bag or pull the “whoosh” thing, it gives us a sense of realness to our lives. We all need something that helps us get through the day, help us through a rough patch or maybe something that brings out our best creativity. Go gather around a good cup of coffee, a cup of tea can make that news go down a little bit better and definitely join a friend for that latte.
Here’s to your morning, and here’s to your routine now don’t forget to put the coffee on.
How do you start your day, any rituals that is an absolute in your morning routine? Leave a comment and share.
Earth To Ash 