the coffee conversation

I dabbled in college, developed a habit and overdosed during finals. I gave it up cold turkey in law school, went through withdrawals and then fell back into old habits. I have tried to give it up on multiple occasions, but time and again I fall victim to my addiction. It doesn't help that my drug of choice is the only one that is not only accepted in the office and abused used by all therein, but more often than not it is actually provided (albeit sometimes it's undrinkable) by those in charge as a perk.  That’s right. I'm talking about Coffee.

Here’s the thing: I am not just addicted to coffee, I am addicted to the coffee culture. I am addicted to the social aspects of sitting around a coffee shop shooting the breeze, my early morning walks to Starbucks, and the sipping of warm liquid while I peruse over briefs in my office. To be fair, there is clearly some addiction to the larger dose of caffeine itself at play as well (who are we kidding). I have tried the tea thing and, while I still choose to go T instead of C on occasion, I have never been able to fully replace my morning cup of Joe. But I would be in denial if I pretended the caffeine was the only factor keeping mud pulsing through my veins.  Because it's so much more than that.  Giving up coffee is not just giving up a drink; it’s giving up a way of life.

I have had full on debates at the office over where to get the best coffee, which instant machines are preferable and pot versus press. Articles have been written about how to make your office coffee experience more enjoyable and I even had a colleague make it his mission to seek out and try all of the best coffee shops in Los Angeles, solely for the sake of saying he had been to them. You see, replacing hot coffee with hot tea wouldn't be enough. I would have to find a new routine. A new social circle. A new career.

But my question is this:  Why do I feel like I need to give coffee up at all? Is it the millionaire status I am sure to reach by skipping my double-dose of Starbucks? Or is it merely my vanity and the need for pearly white teeth? Or perhaps it has something to do with the propaganda I've read and the "healthier me" I am sure to achieve if I say sayonara to the java?  I am not sure. But whatever it is, it clearly isn't powerful enough. Needless to say, despite my best efforts, I don't see myself escaping the coffee culture anytime soon. Instead, I am enjoying my little luxury and taking out stock in Crest Whitestrips.