Thursday Thirteen: Thirteen Reasons That I Love Tea

More and more, I'm convinced that tea is, indeed, a way of life. Or at least, it's become a metaphor for how I want to think about life. And so, in honor of my morning "cuppa" I offer this list of reasons that I love tea. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that it's a list devoted to what I love about tea and what it's come to represent.





One: Tea gives me something to do during awkward silences. This is especially useful while teaching. There's always that rather awkward lag time between when I ask some leading or maybe obvious question (always eloquently worded) and the time that some brave soul will venture an answer. To fill this time, I tend to take a sip of tea, usually from my fun, pink travel mug!

Two: In those period pieces produced by the BBC, you know things like Upstairs, Downstairs, when there's any sort of distress, the immediate response is to give someone either brandy (ick!) or a cup of tea. I'm not sure why tea is the universal band-aid for the hemorrhaging soul, but I'm willing to accept that it is.

Three: Apparently, our bodies metabolize the caffeine in tea more rapidly than that in coffee. This means that we get the zippy effect more quickly, but it also moves out of our system more quickly. Can we say then, that tea has a shorter half life than does coffee? Either way, I figure tea's OK before bed, but coffee may not be.

Four: One can (and sometimes one does) create a routine that revolves around tea. For example, for a while I was on this schedule where I had black tea in the morning, green tea in the afternoon, and white tea in the evening. This gives both structure and meaning to one's day.

Five: Tea always gives one something to look forward to. No matter how dreary the day becomes, one thinks, "Well, at least when I get home I can have a cup of tea."

Six: Tea makes life easier by providing the ideal gift for almost any occasion.

Seven: Tea can be an opportunity for social interaction. You can certainly meet a friend for a cup of coffee, but isn't meeting for a cup of tea far more interesting.

Eight: Tea allows one to participate in the illusion that British culture is somehow superior to American culture.

Nine: Tea leads to e-mails that contain ideas like this: "Did i tell you about that article/blurb in wired mag. that said that we yanks were drinking caffeine all wrong. it said that studies showed constant low doses paired with carbs--as in tea and scones was the most effective. yippee and yumm!" Seriously, isn't that great? I mean, in this case, tea in addition to providing meaning to life becomes a conversation piece.

Ten: Tea is a good justification for various collections: tea cups, tea pots, tea itself. All these are valuable collectibles.

Eleven: How could we have Victorian society without tea? Seriously. Would Dickens ever have had anything to write about had the English not become tea drinkers? Isn't tea a big reason that the British Empire develops in the first place?

Twelve: Everyone drinks coffee these days. Preferring tea allows one the illusion of having a cool, counterculture persona. Some of us thrive on that.

And Thirteen: Tea is simply comforting. Simply holding the hot mug provides physical comfort.