@Mellypeacox – “Confessions of a Tea Binger”
By Guest on Aug 25 Filed In Austin, Texas, Blog Love, arts & crafts 2 Comments
It was the semester of 8 a.m. Public Relations Techniques. It was the semester I enrolled myself for 17 ungodly hours of class. It was the semester I lived on campus because of 7 p.m. labs and two semester-long group projects. But most importantly, it was the semester of Sweet Leaf Tea.
I began binge drinking Sweet Leaf years ago, but the obsession truly settled in the fall semester of my junior year at the University of Texas. I was on campus more hours than what any sane person would consider a reasonable, tolerable amount. And I knew I’d have to find a way to either get through it, or get over it.
I’m sure it all started one day when the Texas weather pretended to be turning to fall, but really stayed 105 degrees. And I’m sure it had something to do with a class called Management Information Systems, and the fact that I had adopted the library as my legitimate living space. But those are just details. One of those days, which all stream together, I opened my bottle of Mint and Honey Sweet Leaf Tea to find my first Grannyism.
I fell in love with the Grannyisms, and I love them almost as much as I love the actual tea itself. It was like getting a fortune cookie… except better because the tea doesn’t taste like Splenda covered cardboard. I soon began my unreasonable obsession of collecting the Sweet Leaf caps. It was a little compulsive, but that’s a little bit of who I am. I saved every cap, and made sure that my friends didn’t even think about throwing theirs way. I would hoard them around in my bag like a crazy lady. No, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them. Yes, I knew that most people believed I was carrying around trash. But it really didn’t matter… I stashed them in drawers throughout my house and my roommates didn’t seem to mind at all. After what seemed like a decade, the unfortunate semester came to an end. Nearly 124 Sweet Leafs (and 4 premature wrinkles) later, I decided it was time I actually did something with the caps.
My Sweet Leaf art now hangs in our kitchen with a few of my most cherished Grannyisms, like, “Puppy love is real to puppies.” And the very appropriate, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
As it turns out, I am scheduled for 8 a.m. class the fall semester of my senior year as well. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that history repeats itself. So, let the binge tea drinking begin.
Hey mellpeacox: great article and a neat way to use your caps. Who knows you may should become a spokes person for Sweet Leaf Tea. Create a movement for Grannyism art.
Just an idea from an ol’ opportunistic entrepreneur.
I believe life is to short not to have good tea.