Black Tea: it's mood-altering effects.

I am loathe to admit it but black tea makes my day better. As usual, I am the last to know anything, obviously, because peoples have been using caffeine in all forms to make themselves feel better for thousands of years, not to to mention recently.

But tea's caffeine doesn't just make me wake up, it makes me feel really good. Like a pain-reliever, like a narcotic.

Now don't get me wrong! I am str8 edge: I don't smoke or do drugs or drink. But I have gone under the knife and have laid back in a number of dentist chairs and I do know what fun one can have on a white pill or two, even if that substance is meant only for killing physical pain.

I am not so naive that I don't know why people take drugs. They make the world seems possible, plausible and even thoroughly enjoyable.

Take work for example. I love my job. But today, after a cup of tea, I really loved my job. I was happy and excited and inspired and silly. Things which might otherwise seem difficult felt fine today. I bounced through most of the day and was fine until I realized I hadn't eaten anything since suppertime.

I have a problem, I know. because I could use black tea as a crutch. I do go a few days without so as to remember all the itchy scratchy feelings associated with life on life's terms and crankiness. Even snarkiness can be pleasurable in teaspoon increments.

My current drug of choice comes in a pretty, shiny black bag. But I'm careful, I cut it with Rooibos. I save the precious little black twigs for the weekend and at night I drink Roastaroma. {Everyone needs a bit of hippie-childhood-tastes-like-coffee-but-it's-not thrown into the mix of their cynical, I'm-not-really-addicted-to-caffeine lives, right?}

And everyone's allowed one final vice, n'est pas?

It's just such a wonderful discovery, I had to share it with you!

/p.s. I just found these beautiful shots of "everyday living." from mav of port2port. lookie here)

Comments

[jennywenny]

I have to say that I really need a cup of tea in the morning to get me started, and a cup of tea in the afternoon is so restorative, its unbelievable what I can do after that! My tea is strong english breakfast with milk and sugar in the morning and the occasional earl grey in the afternoon though.

I've had the odd try of a bit of wizz to keep me going at clubs when I was younger, and I'm pretty sure most of the time they just gave us caffeine! Its a pretty strong drug...

I cant tell if those are crumpets or muffins in the first picture but they look jolly good.

[rachelk]

I too love tea, sometimes it feels benign, sometimes like a cult. This post though, reminds me that I want to try to make these:
http://www.justbento.com/handbook/johbisai/lazy-easy-tea-eggs

[Lori S.]

Yes. Tea is my vice, too.

[sam]

black tea is my one true addiction. I find it hard to start a day without it. But you know first hand how many gallons I can put away without batting an eyelid. DOn't you.

[catherine ross]

Just gotta have a cup of PG Tips upon waking and throughout the first hour or so of being awake. My mum came up on Monday and Tuesday morning I awoke to a perfect cup of tea made by another. What could be better? Is tea a vice now? C'mon....

[erin]

What's your preference on the MF tea? I love the montagne d'or, the mayflower, and pretty much all of their earl grey varieties.

[elarael]

I know just what you're talking about with it's mood-enhancing effect. I am hyper-sensitive to caffeine and so can only have it about 3 times a week and therefore I really notice the mental effects. Very interesting.

My choice is loose Darjeeling with homemade almond milk and a drop of maple syrup : )