19 - Tea vs Coffee

(You should probably listen to this one.  For audio, click here!)

I’m reclined on my couch on a cushion next to Bob that he allows me to have (lol…dogs 😜 ).  I’m facing my big window.  It’s a grey, rainy day.  I can see neighbouring rooftops nestled among a variety of trees showing off their autumn colours.  The rain causes the maple tree next to my window to rain down a confetti of red, orange and yellow leaves.  It’s a bit chilly outside but I still have the window open a crack to feel the crisp air and to hear the sound of the rain drops pitter-patter on the ground.  In my hands I hold a warm mug, the contents sending seasonal savours to my senses…

It’s fall, alright, and I’m reminded of a near identical day about three years ago.  I was sitting on this same couch cushion, looking out this same window.  Symptomatically, I felt like shit.  But emotionally, I felt rather content with mug in one hand and pen and paper in the other.

I’ve never been a coffee drinker and I doubt I ever will be.  When I tell people this they sometimes react as if I just told them I live without showering - one part of them wondering how I make it through the day and the other part of them, somewhat disgusted by my life choice…

My non-coffee lifestyle is indeed a life choice.  It goes back to one of my first jobs as a teen.  I was hired for two weeks as a temp at a call centre.  I fielded inbound calls and answered questions related to an urgent car tire defect.  The defect essentially caused this specific model of tire to explode.  As exciting as that sounds, we honestly got very few calls and when we did, the conversations could not be described as entertaining.  This was also at a time before smartphones and although we each had a computer at our desk, as I remember it, browsing the web at our leisure was prohibited.  As a result, this job was boring as shit. One of my friends also worked there and at the desk next to mine.  We had to amuse ourselves like kids in the back seat of the family station wagon on our good old-fashioned-fun-family road trip through the prairies…. We played this game that involved an arrangement of Canadian one cent coins (the Canadian penny!).  Taking turns, the goal was to be the first to eliminate all the coins before the other.  We must have played that penny game a million times, a game now obsolete not only because of the invention of the smartphone, but also because of the discontinuation of the Canadian penny.  But at least playing this game from the comfort of the call centre, as opposed to on a road trip, meant we didn’t have to worry about our car tires exploding…

From the very first morning, I knew I was not long for work at that call centre.  First, I seemed to have missed the memo about a dress code.  Back then I dressed like a tomboy.  Plus I only liked shopping the discount rack and my taste in clothing was likely more aligned with a 10-year olds than with a teen entering their last year of high school.  Picture 16-year old me, walking into this office setting with black and white lace-up sneakers from Zellers, baggy jeans a style somewhere between what a 1990s rapper might wear and the classic 1970s bell-bottom, a black t-shirt with a large neon logo dead centre on the chest of my favourite cartoon character, Scooby-Doo, and to cover my shoulders and arms (I was going to work, after all), an over-sized, blue-checkered, button-up collared shirt - not buttoned-up, of course.  Add to that hair dyed a shade of red that only accentuated my teenage pimples and patchy skin, on a face I refused to put makeup on, and I was prime for judgement.

So, yeah, visually compared to the other four people hired that day, wearing plain black pants and white shirts, it was clear that I did not fit in.  But my personality clashed as much as my clothes.  We were given a tour of the facility.  Ya’ know - here’s where the supervisor’s offices are, here’s where you work, here are the bathrooms and here is the staff kitchen.  It was at this last part of the tour where my warm beverage-drinking life would be changed forever.

The supervisor who had been giving us the tour was wearing a rather bland pant suit, which I thought matched their personality perfectly - their tone was monotonous and their face expressionless, which made everything they said sound laksidasical and unimportant.  This, however, changed when we stopped at one particular spot in the kitchen.

“This,” the supervisor said in a listen-up-I’m-about-to-tell-you-the-company’s-most-important-secret kind of voice; their previously expressionless face now stern, focused, eyes-wide and locked into each of ours… “this is the coffee maker.  Whatever you do, don’t you EVER leave this pot empty.  ALWAYS make sure the coffee pot is REFILLED.”

At this point, 16-year old Krystal, Scooby Doo shirt and all, started laughing.

I thought it was a joke!  The set up, the delivery - as if we were in the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin, being told not to touch anything but the lamp, or the consequence would be eternal incarceration…  Really?!  Of the whole tour of this facility, of my entire orientation, the COFFEE-MAKER was the most important training point?!?!

“This isn’t funny,” the supervisor said, looking at me as if I just laughed out loud at a funeral.  “Don’t leave this empty.”

The supervisor then turned on their heels, putting their back to me, and walked away.

From that day forward, I refused to ever get into the habit of drinking coffee.  Sixteen-year old me may not have been a mature image of sophistication, but in that moment, I was happy to not fit in with this cubicle coffee culture, and I vowed to never.

So today, much like the day I’m reminded of three years ago, the mug in my other hand is a warm tea.

I love tea!  I often get a variety of teas for Christmas or for my birthday.  I like browsing the shelves of specialty tea shops and talking to the owners about where the tea comes from.  If I had an endless amount of money and space, of the things I would needlessly buy are tea sets from all different regions.

Not only do I find tea comforting, but I also find it meditative.  I have always found just the act of brewing and drinking tea helps me relax.  Not only does this help calm my brain’s thoughts and symptoms, but it also seems to support my creative moments - whether I’m crafting cards, drawing comics or writing this blog, next to me I often have some tea.

Indeed, on that chilly day three years ago when I was home feeling symptomatically unwell, the sights, sounds, smells, savours and sensations inspired me to write a song.

I have shared in previous blog posts the positive impact music has on me.  I have even shared my first low quality original music video.  Here now, I am sharing with you what is probably the best song I’ve written, considering I have no musical training or song writing experience.

I call it: Tea Cozy.

Rain drops on tree tops

Pool onto leaves

Water rolls down roofs

Into their eaves

Birds with wet feathers

Chirp at the weather

Flying from their nests

While I say home and rest

It’s a day to

Drink tea and be cozy

No need

To get all noisy

The kettle whistles

It’s time to infuse

And share my favourite green tea with you

The sound of the rain

Takes a day that is plain

And makes music

That soothes

The sun has it’s rays

That brings smiles

On bright days

But the rain can be beautiful too

It’s a day to

Drink tea and be cozy

No need

To get all noisy

The kettle whistles

It’s time to infuse

And share my favourite rooibos with you

The open window lets in a cool breeze

Fluttering past are red-yellow leaves

The squirrels are gathering their nuts

How many more days ’til frost?

So it’s time to

Put on a sweater

Prepare for

The changing weather

Each season has it’s beauty

There’s no need to pout

When you can share some tea

I’ll have black, red, white or green

Steaming right from the spout

Come get cozy

And drink some tea

With me

With…Me.

Almost as clear as I can hear the rain drops outside my window, I can hear the background music to this song.  It’s a big band with horns at the uppity parts and a piano bringing in the cool parts.  I imagine the video almost like an old Gap commercial - mostly white background with swing dancers coming in and out of the frame.  I also picture the dancers at one point in a tea shop, lindy hopping with tea props.  Yeah, like in a musical; flash mob style.

Whatever season it is for you, whatever warm beverage you prefer in your mug, I do not share this as a promotional for tea.  The title of this post, Tea vs Coffee, is more a quirky comment inspired by my experiences, rather than a statement inciting a showdown between rival beverages.  I share this story and this song in hopes that you too can find the simple beauty in everyday things.

Looking back on the day when I wrote this song, I remember feeling quite unwell and having to stay home, missing out on fun times with friends.  Considering how much I have missed out on due to this concussion, and how upset that has made me, I am proud looking back that on that day I found comfort in the discomfort - I was able to make the most out of my situation and all it took was really noticing the sights, sounds, smells, savours and sensations around me.

I often sing “Tea Cozy” to myself when I’m feeling unwell.  Just like the tea, the song itself has become kind of meditative.  So here’s hoping that you’re enjoying the simple sensations around you.  May you find at least as much enjoyment in these as you do your staff kitchen coffee pot.

Best in brain health,

- Krystal

Like a warm pot of delicious liquid, this post can be shared!  Feel free to share this post how ever and with whomever you like.

Thank you and cheers!