Delaying The Inevitable

355

I used to drink coffee every single day. It gave me that "boost" right around 10 to 11am, when most of my focused work got done. It was easy; just grind the beans, prepare the pour-over, get the water boiling, and then do the pouring. How simple. All of that for an "extended" day? Come on, who wouldn't do it?

When I was doing it regularly, I wasn't able to notice the side effects. Because my body was so used to getting that extra shot of energy, it was impossible to know what would a day without caffeine look like. Of course, there were days when I wasn't drinking it, but they were mostly weekends, when I wasn't as active and didn't need that amount of energy and attentiveness.

Then came the summer break, when I just didn't have to focus that much. So I did some days without coffee. It's important to note here that I have liked and do like the taste, smell, and process of making coffee. It is a joyful little ritual for me. And yes, I have drank it many times not for the boost, but for the ritual.

I've been off coffee for around 5 months now. I just don't drink it. Only on rare occasions when for some reasons I couldn't sleep and had important work impossible to postpone.

Now, when I do drink it, which happens probably only twice a month or even less, I can feel the cost of coffee.

Drinking coffee simply delays what would happen either way; getting tired and feeling the need for rest & sleep. It's just blocking your sense of tiredness for a few hours, and then, when it stops working, compounding all that residue from the day in one moment. It creates a certain "imbalance" in our daily flow.

Why am I even talking about coffee today? Because it got me thinking about the topic of delaying the inevitable, putting off nasty stuff that we know is going to come, but for some reason don't want to handle right now.

There are many things that we're putting off in this manner: a serious talk with a loved one, an apology, an offer to help.

Coffee blocks your senses to make you feel not tired - do you want to life your life like that? With blindfolds? That tell you everything's alright until it isn't and the nasty stuff spills over?

There are no shortcuts.