Beverage Evolution

Growing up, my worst-habit beverage of choice was Diet Coke. It's what my mom drank when I was little so when I was allowed to drink soda, that's what I went for. I never thought about it. I was never steered in any other direction. We sometimes just embrace what's familiar. I felt very grown up drinking Diet Coke. It's what all the moms were drinking.

When I was 17 years old, I started to consider what I was personally interested in and started breaking free from the influences around me. For instance, I had always assumed I was a Republican because that's what most of the people around me were. The summer of my junior year, I attended Girls State (a week away at a college with girls from all over the state that run a mock government starting from cities to counties to state representatives).

As we really dived into the particulars of politics, I knew for certain I'm not a Republican. My favorite candidate for governor was a Democrat but I didn't really feel like that fit me 100% either.

I began my journey as a political independent. During this time, I branched out on drinks and started trying some new things. The drink I tried and loved the most was Pepsi.

It checked all my boxes. It was cola. It was incredibly sweet. I started to taste a huge difference between fake sugar and the fully loaded high fructose corn syrup and strongly preferred the latter. Plus they sold it over crushed ice at our school store so I could combine a delicious drink with the dreadful duty of attending school and it made the school day seem a little less daunting. They also had it at Hogi Yogi and Sconecutter, the places my best friend and I frequented on a regular basis. From the time I was 17 years old until the time I was 40 or 41, my hard beverage of choice was Pepsi. When you pick the same drink for over 20 years, people tend to accept it as part of your identity. However, a few years back, it stopped being my beverage of choice. It was tasting too sweet for me, got flat too easily, was harder to get at restaurants than its competitor and just didn't float my boat any longer. That relationship needed to end. I strongly and unhesitatingly crossed over into the Coca-Cola space. If I have the choice, I actually prefer cherry vanilla Coke but regular Coke and vanilla Coke are great as well.

The people that have known me for ages are having a tough time realizing I've changed and I can't blame them. My sis-in-law finally told me that I'm right-Pepsi is the best drink. I had to laugh and apologize because now that she's come around to Pepsi, I've jumped to the Coke ship. My brother buys me a few Pepsis throughout the year and mentions it being my favorite from time to time. I've told him a couple times that I switched but it hasn't registered with him and I'm still impressed with his thoughtfulness and kind gestures. This has just made me think about how linked our long-term thoughts and habits are with our identity. I guess now would be the time to admit that my political stance has changed as well. I'm a Constitutionalist.

I haven't been in the past. I didn't know or study the Constitution or its evolution of execution in our country. The more I've studied it, the more I can't imagine being anything else. The one thing about politics though is when I didn't go to either side, Republican or Democrat, people didn't tend to link me to my political affiliation. Just like if my favorite drink had been apple beer, people probably wouldn't really link me to that or try to buy it for me. Sometimes we like what we like and then one day we are in a new place.

More Jacob 5

It's been a while since I read Jacob chapter 5 in the Book of Mormon and was hit so strongly with a whole new meaning to some of those verses. I read it today for my first time since the end of 2020 and I can't believe how strongly all the emotions came back.

Once I pulled through those verses, I saw new meanings, too. Overall, the chapter is a story about the scattering and gathering of Israel and even though I don't remember each phase or understand the whole allegory perfectly, it did seem kind of beautiful to me in its entirety.

I also saw some parenting guidance there today as well. I love my kids and are so proud of them but in certain ways, I find myself really feeling like I have failed them. I should have done this differently or I should have found a way to do that better. Starting with verse 40, it says: 40. And the wild fruit of the last had overcome that part of the tree which brought forth good fruit, even that the branch had withered away and died. 41. And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard? 42 Behold, I knew that all the fruit of the vineyard, save it were these, had become corrupted. And now these which have once brought forth good fruit have also become corrupted; and now all the trees of my vineyard are good for nothing save it be to be hewn down and cast into the fire...This is me just wondering if my shortcomings have corrupted certain successes for my children. The scriptures start talking about hope and at the end of 49 just asks again: "What could I have done more for my vineyard?" This is like asking "Where did I go wrong?", "Why didn't I do this differently?", etc.

and the verses say: 50. But, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the vineyard: Spare it a little longer. 51. And the Lord said: Yea, I will spare it a little longer, for it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard...and the Lord of the vineyard gets to work and labors diligently, which I think is like a parent who maybe worries but still keeps trying more ways to help their kids. To read on, we see: 73. And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly...74 ...and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning...so if we just keep on working hard and trying our best, it will all be okay in the end.

I probably over-worry, especially when it comes to my kids. I just don't know any other way. Sometimes I just worry myself into not the best place. I need to remember these verses to remember all is not said and done. I'm going to make mistakes but those are just parts of caring for living things. Nurturing people and plants is not a perfect science but the results are incredibly fulfilling. It will probably be a year or more before I read this chapter again but so much is there. I love seeing something new each time!