Although I’ve been in England now for over three years, I have not yet developed an appreciation for tea. Maybe it’s just that I haven’t really tried. What with all my coffee drinking, when do I have time to fit it in?
But I am continually amazed to discover that tea is the most powerful beverage known to man and can make any problem you have go away.
Take EastEnders, quite possibly one of the most depressing shows ever on television. On the show dear Dot Branning is always at the ready with a cuppa to make everyone’s problems go away.
Just found out your house burned down? Here, have a cuppa. It will all be OK.
Just found out your boyfriend slept with your mother? I’ll put the kettle on and we’ll have a cuppa.
But it’s not just on TV and in popular culture where I’ve seen this.
I’ve recently been in and out of the hospital with my Crohn’s. And I’ve been amused to find that each time when I wake up from my procedure, the first thing they offer me is a cup of tea. I haven’t eaten for two days, I’m completely dehydrated, and I have low blood pressure. Wouldn’t a bit of water or juice be a more appropriate beverage for the situation? Apparently not. Never mind the wisdom of leaving a porcelain cup with a scalding beverage in the hands of someone just coming off heavy sedatives.
Is there no situation that doesn’t call for a cuppa tea?
The British are the largest per capita tea consumers in the world. Maybe it’s because they know a secret the rest of us don’t. That tea isn’t just a nice warm beverage. It will fix everything that’s wrong in your life.
Tea drinkers, please help me understand. I’ll put the kettle on.
