The Coffee Conundrum

Seeking an alternative writer-fuel

I love coffee but it doesn’t love me back. My relationship with the caffeinated elixir started in my twenties, relatively late to the grind. I drank heavily creamed and sweetened cups for years but that sugary rush wasn’t ideal for a pre-workout drink. A colleague smartened me up to black coffee as guilt-free beverage to consume before hitting the gym. The lack of any sweetness shocked my system, but after a while, I got used to the taste and it become my preferred morning drink. After sipping the dark nectar for so long, percolated problems arose.

Cold brew coffee became a quick favorite, and while the flavored versions are delicious, I still chose straight black on ice. I enjoyed the taste, the feeling it provided, and even the ritualistic drive-thru ordering process. As time went on, though, more and more modifications were set in order to properly enjoy the experience.

It got to be where I could only safely drink coffee, cold or hot, before 8:30 in the morning. Any later, and I’d be gambling with my overall health. On occasions where I’d have a second cup of the day in the afternoon, more often than not, I’d feel sick. The fatigued feeling wouldn’t necessarily be from a mismatched combo of more caffeine than sleep, but that would still happen a lot. Lacking a better term, I call what I suffered “caffeine sickness.” The symptoms didn’t include an increased heart rate - heck, there were plenty of instances when drinking hot coffee backfired and made me even drowsier. This ailment mainly came as a result of drinking cold brew, but regular coffee could also affect me. The primary effects involved dizziness and a bit of nausea. The most recent bout with this lasted three days.

I knew this was a common consequence yet I’d return to the drive-thru lane many times. Knowing that it could make feel lethargic and generally dreadful, I’d still down the black drink. The most recent wave of this sickness was the last straw in a series of straws. I’d given up caffeine and/or coffee before, but once I felt I could manage it, I’d dive back in. The foolish notion of control let me down yet again. It wasn’t a virus, nor was it a new disease. The common denominator was always coffee.

Foregoing the thought of being able to quit whenever I want to, as of this writing, I haven’t had any coffee in five days. I’ve had a few sodas which strangely did not affect me but, for one, soft drinks aren’t healthy to begin with, and they, too, aren’t something to overdo. Regardless, if taken with food, normally with dinner, sodas don’t impact me the way coffee does.

Many authors playfully speak of their coffee addiction, and with good reason - it is writer fuel, after all. Alas, now I am once again faced with being an outlier in the decaf club. If you need me, I’ll be drooling, asleep over a keyboard. But I won’t feel sick.

Stay in the loop for more details by following Jonfiction Blog on Substack and be sure to check out jonmcbrine.com for more info about this and all my books.

Unsecret Identity: Eric Icarus - Book One is available now from the Amazon as a paperback and as an ebook.

https://a.co/2XAtxvH

New blog every Monday. Newsletter first Monday of each month.