Finally Human Thoughts on being a person

The Decaff Life

Today I drank coffee. Not a noteworthy event in itself - I always drink coffee - but on this occasion I had a cup of decaff. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. It wasn't instant coffee, it wasn't cheap coffee, it was made well, percolated and everything. Just like normal coffee. It tasted very much like your average cup of the bean juice, but with the major distinctive of lacking caffeine.

And I enjoyed it. I drank it like any other coffee and got on with my day.

Then it hit me. Or rather, then it didn't hit me. The warm rush of chemical energy coursing through the blood. That fuel which the average worker needs to get through the afternoon. It wasn't there. I was tired and groggy all afternoon! All because of my foolish decision to have a cup of decaff!

Now, it's entirely possible to draw from this that I have a caffeine dependance. You might be right, but that isn't where this blog post is going.

When I drink coffee I expect a number of things. I expect it to have a satisfying aroma, a deep, rich taste and a boost of energy in order to get on with my day. I got the first two, but not the third. Frankly, I was a little disappointed.

Upon reflection, I wondered to myself whether this disappointment extends beyond the realm of coffee drinking. Even beyond our consumption of products.

I call it the decaff life.

It's the life we lead when we miss out on the stuff we could attain to. The relationships we have without intimate companionship. The success we have in our jobs without the ability for our achievements and advances to impact the widest range of people. The happiness of being with a special someone without the boundless joy of knowing they will be there forever.

The decaff life. My description of it is limited.

What is coffee without caffeine? What is sex without love? What is money without the opportunity to bless others?

Can we be accused of missing out on life?

I fear we are often unaware of the richness of the experience of life which is available to us. I know I am somewhat ignorant. When I go to a fast food place I always know what I'm ordering. I never choose anything different! I order the same drinks at the pub. I always know where I will shop and there's only a few places I will fill up my car.

Granted, there are good reasons for some of these habits, but the point I hope to place in the front of your mind is that there is something more available.

What you might have read here in the past is my exploration of that 'something more', as I perceive it.

C.S. Lewis explains:

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• Ian the cross-cultural missionary

About i.burgess

I pretend to be a writer. I inconsistently love my friends. I often make a fool of myself. I am loved beyond measure.