Decaf coffee is like instant mashed potatoes, a gas fireplace, a book on tape, a stationary bike, a non-dairy creamer, a personalized form letter, imitation vanilla, watching a movie on television, artificial grass, sugar substitutes…
Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world. There is plenty of debate across the web about it’s health benefits and risks, it’s addictive properties, and it’s use as a medicine.
I gave up caffeine almost two months ago during a weekend fast. It felt so terrible that I made a personal choice not to go back. I get a little through the decaf coffee and occasional chocolate and I had a cup (for medicinal purposes) a couple weeks ago.
I miss it in the morning. It was like a little shot of clarity and focus. I have yet to find something to replace it with – muffins don’t work very well (they make me more tired). But I can’t imagine going back on it.
We’ve been talking about breaking bad habits. It’s made me wonder why some things I can do and others are completely beyond me. And everyday is like starting again from the beginning – with a cup of decaf to pull me through.
