Thoughts on Tea and Life

Quote of the day: 

Tea does our fancy aid, Repress those vapours which the head invade, And keeps that palace of the soul serene. -Edmund Waller 

The steam from the kettle rose up quickly or to be more accurate -rushed out like an army charging through enemy lines, leaving behind dampness in it's wake. For some unknown reason an image of a whistling kettle flashes through my mind. I wonder if those are still is use. You put the kettle on and it whistles out loud once the water boils on the stove. There's nothing fancy about these modern kettles, plugged into a wall living off electricity like ivy clinging on to a building for dear life -an unfair comparison but that's all I've got.

What's a good tea without hot or boiling water. That is not to say I have anything against cold tea. On a hot summer day perhaps it may be so. Iced tea or a cold brew to quench the thirst and cool the mind. But on a cold winter day the hotter the tea the better. Fruit tea, herbal tea, tea bags, loose tea, instant tea, whatever the choice tea will always be tea.

One cannot speak about tea without a mention of its origin -China, before it became widespread. A dynasty of tea drinkers who no doubt prepared it meticulously. There is a sense of ritual to making proper tea. It shouldn't be rushed or thoughtless. It should be planned and calculated where every process has its purpose.

From cold water that changes form to grow into hot boiling water -its very purpose, is there to see clear as day. Thermodynamics aside, your ability to instigate such a change should not be overlooked. And the end result? A battle dance of victory as the kettle reaches the point of no return -clouds of white smoke released like a steam train on a journey.

Life is actually like a cup of tea.

It usually boils (err pun intended) down to how you make it.



Peace. Love. Light* 




Current Listen: Tracy Chapman -Give Me One Reason