One more cup of coffee for the roadOne more cup of coffee ‘fore I go
to the valley below...
Bob Dylan
...ran my bike into a concrete fencepost on the way to a yoga class downtown yesterday....actually, if yer gonna run yer bike into a concrete fencepost on the way to somewhere, a yoga class is a pretty good somewhere for that somewhere to be...as you pick yourself up, feeling somewhat dazed and unsure of whether you’re merely a bit scratched up or actually injured...one of the many uses for a yoga class is that you'll work out any minor trauma, and, if there’s anything seriously wrong, you’re probably gonna know it before the class is over ...
...and, as it turned out apart from a couple bits of skin lost on the right pointer finger and a slightly bruised right knee, no harm was done...
...but how, you ask, did this misfortune occur? I’ll give ya three different versions and let you decide which ya like best:
Version A: Going at incredible speed while doing a headstand on the seat, I suddenly hit a patch of black ice. A less skilled cyclist would have been killed.
Version B: There I was riding along when a little girl ran out onto the path. Having to make a split-second decision between possibly injuring this sweet, innocent child and the likelihood of grave injury to my own person, I of course turned valiantly toward the fencepost.
Version C: Riding along with a general lack of mindfulness, I didn't notice I was riding into a concrete fencepost until it was right in front of me.
...to those of you unimaginative and ungenerous enough to choose Version C, allow me to point out that this lack of attention might be attributed to a recent decision to cut down on coffee....as of about three days ago, I’m only having approximately one cup...or, at least, not-much-more-than one cup...per day...and my stomach’s already thanking me for it...
For I have known them all already, known them all:
Have known the evenings, morning, afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons....
T. S. Eliot
...the people at the coffee shop rolled their eyes and said oh god, not again! when I told them that....I generally quit completely for a month or so every year or two...just to let my insides recover from the general rich, full-bodied, incredibly tasty onslaught...oh god, just writing about coffee makes me want some...though my daily quota was filled hours ago...damn, I can hardly wait for that post-Saturday morning yoga class coffee tomorrow...which is why I have no desire to quit permanently...at this point, at least...some of the good things in life remain good things even when they’re not actually good for you....
15 comments:
Probably not fair of me to say which version, since I know the answer and it would be cheating... but I do hope you get that bravery award!! ;)
I'm all for people giving up coffee - even if its not entirely giving it up, just having less.
From experience, I do find that coffee is responsible for many ills in the body - including general anxiety/tension, stomach upsets, loss of calcuium in the bones, creating toxicity in the blood, over-stressing the adrenal system and much more.
Mind you, haven't quite given up the good stuff completely myself!
OUCH! Lack of coffee could do that to you. At least you didn't have any real major damage. That sounds like it could have been a lot worse.
I like version A. But I think it's because I have ingrained predilection towards the phrase, "less skilled cyclist." I don't know if you've said it out loud before, but man, does it roll off the tongue.
One doesn't have to completely give up on coffee. I took a different approach. I love it so much that I allow myself only 1 small cup of delicious fresh ground every morning. :-)
Sounds like you need a pick-me-up after that little episode.
I know ... how about a nice cup of coffee???
Dr. Jay, if this is one of those things where it helps to know you're not alone: you're not alone. And not just in your coffee addiction. Someone once showed up in my class with a similar story of an accident. It probably happens more than any one of us can know. Take care.
Really glad you're ok. Good points about that happening pre-yoga class.
I still drink coffee but mainly I drink Yerba Mate. I cannot believe the difference in the way I feel in comparison. With Mate I get the same mental stimulation but the rock quarry inside my stomach isn't there.
I KNOW it was version A...Super Grover wouldn't be caught dead doing anything less!
Wow, I never touch the stuff, but the way you write about it makes me want to run out to get a cup!
It was definitely C.
I would of gone for B, if it had been a big boobied woman :)
I was torn between A and B ...but, yeah, I'll go for the mad cyclist skillz *g*
Cutting back on coffee? The horror! I could not deal with the caffeine withdrawal. Yeah, I'll just live with the my caffiene addiction :)
I just switched to Morning thunder this week. all the caffiene without the jitters. Kinda like dropping window pane rather than elephant tranquilizers.
Love that Dylan song ...desire' and 'blood on the tracks' are two of my most favorite of his...story telling at its lyrical best!
Actually if you think about it, elephant tranquilizers would've enabled you to bounce right up and be on your way don't you think?
btw...you're a really terrific writer..and this is an honest presently drug free assessment.
cheers
eddie
Why?
I mean if you are just drinking too much and getting the jitters, then sure I understand. But other than that, this is what I have learned about the liquid Goddess of Caffinated Cthonia:
1. Protects your Liver.
2. Lowers your chances of Dementia as you age.
3. Acts as mood elavator even when the company you keep doesnt deserve it.
4. Tastes like the richest most succelent dirt in the cosmos and...
5. Aids in Digestion.
6. Makes you look cool without giving you lung cancer.
Ease up Bro and get your fix.
That's funny; I quit drinking coffee about every 3 months or so. I decide that it's horrible for me if it can give me such a head ache when i don't drink if for a couple days.
I drink tea for a couple weeks then I'm right back on the joe.
Huh, I completely missed this bike post and I love bike posts.
Okay, drjay, if you had still been under the influence of caffeine then I would've chosen A, but seeing how you've cut down on the stuff I will still choose A. My theory is that caffeine withdrawal put you on your head. Count your blessings...no telling where you would've ended up if not for the fencepost! [optimism begs for a smiley here!]
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