My best thing today: The AAPS presentation “Challenge of Change” from Warren MacDonald. Thanks to Warren for his uplifting presentation and to Jasmin at AAPS for coordinating him to come to campus.
You may have noticed a lack of Suzanne last week on this blog. My apologies- I was away and I couldn’t bear the idea of writing. Shame is a powerful thing my friends.
I fell off the wagon last week and somehow managed to land in the coffee pot… then took a few more days to swim around in there…
I visited home last week to find that caffeine addiction runs deep in the roots of my family tree. One of my favourite family traditions, since I can remember, was to join my parents on their bed with my two brothers and our old family dog, Griff, on lazy weekend mornings, as my Mom and Dad drank coffee and read the newspaper. A few things have changed since I was 5- now I’m old enough to drink coffee, it’s a different house, it’s usually just me and my Mom and my Step-Dad and our family dog, Horatio, isn’t allowed in the bedroom (but my dog Stogie comes in and begs to be let up on the bed). One thing is essentially the same: coffee. I’ve been partaking in coffee in bed chats since I was about 16.
It’s the comfort of tradition that gets me every time. My Mom wakes me up in the morning at home to tell me to join her and my stepfather in their bedroom for a cup of coffee. I love that tradition. More recently, I find comfort in the {newly developed} tradition of stopping for a coffee at Gallileo Coffee. Then last night after a nice dinner out on the seawall with my Mom, there was comfort in the cup of coffee in the twilight. It’s started to feel like kicking coffee meant giving up on traditions.
So my friends, I have failed. I’ve been swimming in caffeine lately and honestly, I like it! I feel like a rebellious teenage- I even kind of resent having to consider giving it up. But I know I said that’s what I was going to do. I even try to forget why I wanted to quit. The fact is, in this moment, I cannot imagine not getting to partake in the traditions. I know I could drink something else, but it’s just not the same.
Despite all this, I returned to my comittment today already. I have not had coffee since 7:30 am yesterday in Brittania Beach. Even though there was someone [whom I shall not name] sitting beside me in staff meeting this morning with a very delicious smelling cup of coffee. Even though there was lots of free coffee at the staff meeting…I managed to enjoy my wonderful cup of herbal tea… even though for some reason the hot water was in fact cold.
I know that in the long run, it will pay off. But short term, it’s a hard one.
So while coffee may have won this battle, I have not waved my white flag. I will win this war.
By the way, a special thank you goes out to Ash, the owner of my favourite local coffee shop, as he introduced me to a hot drink that’s warm and rich like coffee- it’s a Rooibos Americano, made with rooibos tea [which is an herbal tea without caffeine]. I think it might get me through the winter.
Next week, I’m going to be on vacation, so I won’t be blogging. I will be traveling somewhere, with my car, climbing gear and dog. So here’s a little song for you, to listen to when you miss my blog entry next week (hahaha, yea right). The Road I Must Travel by The Nightwatchman
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I also attended the Warren MacDonald presentation today and thought it was amazing. He was on Oprah: http://www.warren-macdonald.com/# It includes details there he didn’t cover during the presentation.
Incredible.
Erin
I hear that as long as you drink 2 cups of water for each cup of java you consume, it balances the water loss. Just a thought…and what about decaf? You at least still get the flavour. =)
Hi Erin- Yea, I saw you there, but I arrived late. It was a really inspiring talk, especially for me because as a climber, we always whisper about the fear that something will happen to us- that something will happen so that we won’t be able to climb again- and how losing that would mean losing so much of who we are. But there’s Warren, showing how he managed to reconnect to that former self and how we can all figure out ways to be who we really are. Super inspiring. It’s a good talk to have before I take off on vacation- makes me think about doing something more meaningful.
Kim- yea, I really think the caffeine itself (and the acidity of coffee) is bad for my digestion, as well as bad for anxiety, so although i could try to outweigh it with water, it’s probably best for me to just give it up! I just wished that we lived in a world that was less entrenched in “going for coffee” as a way of life- maybe it would make things easier. My Mom was kind enough last night to ask what she should make for me instead in the mornings, so I’m going to see how one makes a rooibos americano! 🙂
Oh and with decaf, you still get the flavor and SOME of that caffeine still, so what’s the point!? Thanks though for trying to make me a little less miserable!
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