Steamwhistle-University of Kansas

Hey, guess what?

I’m a morning writer and keep to a routine on my writing days: shower, normal dress (i.e. no bathrobe or Zumbaz), cereal, newspaper, and then a mug of something warm while I tickle my brain along with the computer keys. For years my beverage of choice was regular, black coffee and my m.o. was to overdo it; I probably drank half a pot during the course of every writing day. Eventually my body became so accustomed to the stuff it might as well have been black water. I could have enjoyed a few cups before bed and slept soundly through the night.

Finally, it was my stomach that let me know it was time to quit, so I downgraded to something gentler, green tea. I had a good run there as well, but my body was ultimately displeased with any caffeine, so I had a decision to make. Herbal decaf teas, especially chamomile, make me drowsy, and while a good writing day is often like a waking dream, it’s none too productive to be constantly fighting droopy eyes and a nodding head.

What to do, right? Well I wasn’t about to give up such an essential element of my morning habit. So I decided to switch to hot water. And no, it’s not to soak my dentures in. Easy there, I’m not even 40 yet. Although I suppose at this rate of reduction, in a year or so I may only need a photograph of steam to get me through the day.

Right now, however, what is it about needing something warm in a mug in the morning? It’s no longer about the jolt that caffeine once gave me. And I live in Southern California and (usually) don’t need to worry about the cold weather creeping in. This is something different. Is it my security blanket? My talisman? A weapon in case any of those feisty squirrels manage to break in?

This is why I have a blog, ladies and gentlemen. A platform from which to cast out my life’s most perplexing questions and hope that they land at the feet of someone wiser than I. Can anyone out there diagnose my behavior?

But hey, I’m not alone, am I? Doesn’t everyone, writer or otherwise, crave a mug of something warm in the morning regardless of what it is?