Growing up, coffee was a foreign concept in my household. My family, like many in their generation, were not familiar with coffee or what it does to the body. In fact, the beverage we were exposed to, which we made our choice was tea/chocolate and this was often served every morning as our breakfast. The beverage was also served at family gatherings and when there is an occassion with other people.
Coffee was never mentioned or discussed as my mind would recollect and I didn't even know what it tasted like until I got to the university.
As young as I was then, I usually get curious whenever I see my grandpa taking kolanuts, my dad too. Little did I know that kolanut was their secret stimulant. I remember my Dad telling I and my siblings that kolanut was only for elders which we grew up to believe and would never try to take a bite from, even though I tasted it one day and quickly spat it out because of how bitter it was.
With this belief that it is only the elders that can eat kolanut, we never bothered about it again until later I realized that was just a ruse. My dad would chew kolanut to stay awake during late night projects, whether he was fixing his speakers and engines for events or working on a new idea, like composing songs as he was a fuji musician then.
I recall him telling me one day that kolanut helped him focus and stay awake and alert much like coffee does for many people today. It was his go-to snack when he needed an energy boost and it served him well.
Flashing back, I chortle at how he thought kolanut was meant for elders alone, but I understand now that it was just his way of deriving pleasure at a stimulant that was familiar to him.
As a child, I remember how my parents would emphasize the importance of healthy living and warn us about the dangers of taking unknown substances. They taught and encouraged us to stick to what we knew and loved like tea and other traditional drinks. Coffee was not part of our family's culture or tradition and we didn't feel like we were missing out on anything, in this case — coffee.
When I got to the university, everything changed. I would get shocked when friends and other students would hype coffee to be a great energy booster, especially when reading for exams. I decided to try it out after I was done with my degree studies and was active on the Hive blockchain. I needed to try it out myself and confirm if what people are saying about it was true.
My first experience made coffee an integral part of my daily routine and I discovered its stimulating effects. I was amazed at how it made stay awake at night and helped me achieve all I set out to do without feeling tired. My siblings had similar experiences and we would often joke about how our parents were oblivious to the coffee revolution happening in our lives.
Looking back, I realized that my parents' attitude towards coffee was not born out of ignorance but rather not being exposed to it. They grew up in a different time when coffee was not as popular as it is today and is now available everywhere. I believe their skepticism was rooted in a desire to protect us from taking into our body unknown substances and I appreciate their true concern.
Today, I appreciate how my parents didn't know about coffee even if it meant I discovered it later in life. Their emphasis on healthy living and inculating in us traditional values has taught me to bask in the euphoria of the simple things and not take anything for granted. When I eventually introduced coffee to my dad sometime last year, he was surprised by its rich flavor and stimulating effects and knowing that there is another powerful stimulant different from kolanut.
All images are mine