Simpliciter
posted by paul bowman @ 11:30 AM
10/18/2006
'Quare id faciam' is a bit I snagged, without much thought, from 2 lines of verse likely known to anyone who's had a little Latin in school. I borrowed it years ago, looking for a username no one else would want.
And it grew on me. Taken out of its context, it's altered — the tense blurs & its sense may allow, Why will I do it, or, Why will I make it? — suggestive and intertwining questions, as I take them.
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4 Comments:
Yes, and "manic joy" is another word for too much!
Well, to tell the truth, coffee hasn't seemed to have a very noticeable stimulative effect on my system for some years — except for stimulation to pee frequently. (Of course, any drink drunk as much as coffee's ordinarily drunk by me would send one to the w.c. frequently.) I'll say that it does appear to help me get past little slumps in the day, but only where willpower is already engaged. Almost never seems to prevent me sleeping if I'm winding down and don't fight it.
If there's a sadness, to my mind, it comes not with not getting enough coffee but simply with missing it. You get used to having it there, you know — the habit of grabbing the mug between stabs at whatever you're working on, the linger of suspect taste in the mouth (if it's good & black), the anticipation of filling up again. And what else does one carry along to drink all day long, working, taking care of errands & odd chores, reading privately, conversing socially, &c. — without either getting to feeling you've topped off or falling into stupor? I hope I never come to settling for large quantities of coffee for failing yet to attain blessedness, but at the same time I sure hope I never have to do without steady supply while blessedness is still a distant expectation. : )
It's been a while since I've indulged in coffee to the levels you describe. Whenever we visited my parents on the West Coast, your rhapsody was my reality - and you're right: if it had any effect on my ability to sleep or stay awake, I certainly didn't notice it. The action was the pleasure.
HOWEVER, back at home I can't have more than my two cups in the a.m., or I WILL notice all the usual undesirable effects: jitteryness, restive sleep patterns, etc. And the headache will certainly descend if I don't get the caffeine before noon.
Well, well — check out this timely bit now. From today's Parade (a 'magazine' insert that comes with a lot of Sunday papers in the U.S.), in a little piece by their health expert I. Rosenfeld irresistibly titled 'Yes, Coffee Can Be Good for You':
'Over the decades, there have been more than 19,000 studies looking into the dangers and benefits of coffee. Some of them are open to interpretation, but here's my take on the research: For most people, drinking no more than three cups of coffee a day does more good than harm. Remember, however, that one's tolerance to coffee can vary, so even a small amount can make you nervous and irritable if you happen to be sensitive to it.' — Usual cautiously optimistic posture of mainstream medical advice re: popular consumer product. Next paragr., though, comes to the good stuff. — 'But there's much more to coffee than the caffeine. Coffee has antioxidants [Oh, those are supposed to be good, aren't they?] — the substances also present in tea, fruits and vegetables than enhance overall health. It also contains a host of antibacterial compounds that protect against infection (one of them even helps prevent dental cavities). Other ingredients may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes .... Coffee's benefits affect the entire body [Wow, honey, listen to this ...] — from preventing gallstones to reducing symptoms of Parkinson's disease (by allowing the release of dopamine into the brain) and even preserving cognitive function. Recently, a 10-year study in Europe of nearly 700 healthy elderly men revealed that those who drank at least three cups of coffee per day maintained better brain function.'
Sure, Rosenfeld's probably shilling for some coalition of big coffee industry players, but it's still gratifying to come across this kind of item. Feels good and good for you! — Well, you can never be too happy.
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