Tea and the wonderful effect of a calming moment
Tea. One of the oldest beverages in the world after water, beer and wine. Some say it was discovered by accident, others that it was divine inspiration. A lot in the history of tea is linked to chance and to ingenious foresight, and if such things interest you, I highly recommend Alan and Iris MacFarlane’s The Empire of Tea, the subtitle “The Remarkable History of the Plant That Took Over the World” says it best.
Not only is tea an old plant (a friend of mine is trying to find ancient plant DNA in what supposedly are tea samples from a couple of thousand years ago) and thus an old drink, but it is a fundamentally political plant and drink and thus of course philosophical. I will leave the politico-historical part to people that know what they’re doing with it and will focus on the aspect of tea where everyone can relate.
That small moment when brewing has stopped, when you set down your cup, mug, glass or goblet. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Be in the moment. Relax.
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