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An Undisclosed Café Dear Love, Some days are just made to be silly. You know I haven’t had any Coke for 20 years or more. I’m just not a big fan of soda pop But here I am in Sesimbra at an undisclosed location, sweaty hot day. “Que forno”… Like being in an oven ( what an oven ). . The writing was flowing, hours sitting at the keyboard and I was done looking at anything non organic. I closed my computer and decided I would have a Coca Cola. Now I’m not drinking alcohol right now but I thought about how nice a glass of Vinho Verde would be today, but I really didn’t like the idea of alcohol. It was the idea of it that was attractive to me. To the counter I went to order my drink. The main bar lady was out having a cigarette so the manager asked me what I’d like and there it was falling out of my mouth, in Portuguese but in English here for you, “I’d like a Coca Cola with a slice of lemon.” She asked if I would like ice, which I accepted. I took my coke can and my empty glass of ice with its solo slice of lemon outside to stare at the blue sky while listening to the seagulls and all the teenagers pass by as they leave the beach. I’ve been thinking about this for sometime actually. One of my friend girls who I don’t speak with too much any more, loved a coca cola on particular days. It was like a shot of life force for her. You’d hear the opening of the can and then a moment later, before you took three breathes it was gone. She made it look so good. So I had been thinking about that for some time. There I sat, pulling back the tab, sweaty and hot, enjoying the feeling of the cold glass in my hand as I poured the brown liquid into my glass. To be honest the first few sips were kind of refreshing. Sweet but weird. You know in the U.S. the coke is made with high fructose corn syrup, so it was a special thing to get Mexican coke, which was made with sugar cane. That always stayed with me, how the U.S. likes to put frivolous ingredients in everything. I think we believe the more ingredients listed in that 12 o.z. can the more value we are actually getting, as if 12 oz of three ingredients is not equal to 12 oz nineteen ingredients. Anyways, I am sitting there half a glass in, as I pour the rest into my glass contemplating the flavor, the entirety of the scene, sitting on the steps, almost like I was in a commercial for soda in a red can. But suddenly this soda started tasting gross to me, artificial. Maybe that is why I stopped drinking soda eight thousand years ago. I picked up the can and saw a bit of text that said, sem açucar, no sugar. That was weird to me. It tasted sweet. And as I turned the can over in my hand, I read Coke Zero. What the… Of course it would be the artificial version of Coca Cola that the lady gave me. The universe loves to joke with us. Twenty years, not that I was abstaining from soda for any particular reason other than it’s not my favorite drink, yet… I went inside and shared the humor and her first response was, “I don’t like coke,” and I said I don’t either. She then apologized as she said she was a horrible bar girl, laughing. It’s true I thought. She was sincerely apologetic, but of course she took my money, which I planned on paying anyway. My dad would have asked me that if he was listening to me retell this story, so I am preempting him. Neither she nor I thought to look at the can to see that it wasn’t actually a Coca cola. Life is silly isn’t it. I’m glad I hadn’t been waiting 20 years to have that one can of coca cola only be served a zero sugar artificial unacceptable replacement for the real thing. Maybe there’s a life analogy in there somewhere as well. Tomorrow, I am going to have the real thing somewhere on the beach or in a café. One more thing. Usually when things like this happen they don’t happen once, but come in groupings. It was the case with this situation. I will continue on in a few days or so with the absurdity that is the ‘mindless’ human. Me being one of them too. You ever wonder why someone gives you sugar packets with your ice coffee? Is that a riddle or… What kind of joke is that… To absurd days and the simple things in life that perk your perspective, Emeric p.s. Why would I call my program on relationships something like Love Cheese? Simple, talking about love is often silly and talking about self love is sillier than that. Besides, we are way to serious sometimes speaking about this difficult things, like other people. Something about the ridiculous nature of laughing at what often isn’t laughable is so helpful, at least sometimes. You can get a look here… And if you have any questions or if you would like me to hold your hand through out let me know. I want you to have better relationships, especially with yourself. www.EmericDamian.com/love-romp The one and only program for opening your eyes and heart to the absurdity that is LOVE CHEESE and The Relationship Romp… |