A lot was playing in my head when I saw the spillthebeans prompt topic for this week, and choosing between coffee and alcohol felt like something impossible. It's normal to feel this way after drinking both for many years now, and they are quite important to me for different reasons.
After my long relationship with these two widely consumed drinks globally, it would be a lie if I claimed not to know which was more valuable to me. While thinking about my response to the prompt, I couldn't prevent myself from recalling what led to me embracing these drinks because there is always a first time with everything.
I was preparing for an examination close to two decades ago when one of my favorite gospel concerts came up, and the venue was within the community. My family attends the concert every year, but that year, mom wouldn't let me go since it was a midnight program. My paper was around 9 a.m. the next day, and it wouldn't make sense to stay up throughout the night.
Before my mom broke the news to me about not attending the concert, my best friend had already told me how his dad drank coffee for energy, and I got three sachets to keep myself alive no matter how tired I was in the morning after the concert, which unfortunately, I didn't attend.
I got bored staying at home alone and drank the coffee at midnight, even though it was bitter. Somehow, I couldn't sleep and still felt good enough to go for the exam in the morning. I wasn't certain that the coffee made me feel that way, and I kept drinking until it became part of me.
Fast forward to sometime in 2015, when I didn't understand what direction my life was going anymore. I was thrown into the depths of depression, and alcohol was the only thing I could confide in to help me sleep for a few hours. Things started falling into place for me, and alcohol became a normal drink I fall back on when I am stressed.
Coffee and alcohol serve different purposes for me, but beyond these purposes, one of them has great importance to me. Until today, I had misunderstood myself regarding these drinks and wouldn't have realized it without participating in this prompt.
Many times, I have called myself an alcohol addict, even though I mostly remember to drink whenever I am stressed, while it's the opposite for coffee, which I take whether I am high or low on energy. I checked properly and realized that I haven't had alcohol in the last three weeks, while I still enjoyed coffee with my spouse this morning. Although it's not an everyday thing but I have taken coffee and zero alcohol this month, but I still do not consider myself a coffee addict.
If I had to choose between coffee and alcohol over and over again, it would be coffee for me because my connection with it goes beyond just the common reason why everyone drinks coffee.
Coffee taste is something I crave naturally, unlike alcohol, especially without tequila. There are days when I don't even have coffee in my plan, but I end up going for it when the craving kicks in. I barely crave alcohol because of the taste, and the best thing it can do for me is make me sleep.
I remembered a friend giving me a particular amount of alcohol for manpower, and the outcome was a deep 8-hour sleep.
The varieties of coffee out there would just make you glued because of the fabulous taste they've got. So if for no reason at all, I will choose coffee because of the taste.
Due to my poor alcohol tolerance level, I don't drink alcohol outdoors after an ugly experience some years ago, but coffee is allowed since it would only make me feel better if I didn't overstep my boundaries with it. The annoying thing is that in Nigeria, coffee is barely served at events, and people would choose alcohol over coffee, so I tend to drink only water to avoid embarrassing myself.
I drink coffee with my family during family time, and we have created beautiful memories over coffee. It's the same with my spouse as well; coffee has become something that helps us connect better, so it's impossible for me to give up coffee or choose alcohol over coffee.
I have tried coffee flavored alcohol but the effect is completely different since I eventually get knocked out in the end just because alcohol is present. I am not condemning alcohol, but it would be best to let go since relaxing and sleeping are all it does for me, and there are other way I can get these things, but for coffee, it's irreplaceable.
Regardless of what coffee or alcohol means to us, doing it out of moderation would only deprive of us whatever good we get from them.
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You are right, coffee and alcohol, both serves different purposes in life, most times, people would prefer alcohol because to them, they can forget about whatever they are going through.
Coffee also has its own important.
I had a great time, reading this
Alcohol can be very addictive just like coffee and lack of moderation can birth a huge problem. Choosing coffee over alcohol is something many coffee lover have in common.
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Several friends have had problems with alcohol, which has made life quite difficult for them. Sometimes it's not easy to keep control and then things can get really bad. Thanks for sharing your experience dear @george-dee . A big hug from Maracay.
Lack of control is a huge problem and I noticed a lot of people lost control with alcohol so it's better to stop while it's still very possible to do without it.
Thanks for your contribution sir, I felt the huge. My regards to your family 💕
I agree that they both serve different purposes. To me, it seems coffee does the opposite of whatever alcohol does to one's body.
It's good to know that you enjoy coffee with your family, that will help create more bond between you.
I didn't think of it and truly, they are opposite in nature. While alcohol make people lose drip of themselves, coffee helps to stay active.
Thanks for bringing this up, trust you had a great Monday.
What a life story, many times, we rent alcohol for our daily life, it is never too late to give it up, it is very true that coffee is irreplaceable