Aurora Magazine 2019

family, find time for hobbies – ha – and cook for my husband and the aforementioned kids – double ha – all the while, staying physically and mentally healthy. This is the part where I insert my appreciation for my life and my love of my kids. That does not change the fact that my career is back burner material, and I am tired. If I want to have it all, the answer is simple; I need to stay awake. Found on a list of the fifteen most caffeinated drinks, the highest ranked is a Five Hour Energy Extra Strength, Rockstar Energy Shot being a close second. I prefer to keep my beverag - es in the coffee, tea, water, wine, and beer categories. So, heart racing, manic raising, club thumping energy drinks are out of the question. Those drinks conjure memories of an era I do not wish to relive, where syrupy concoctions come up just about as quickly as they go down. Coffee doesn’t make an appearance until num - ber eight. Residing in the eighth ring of human caffeination, I am confined to the options within. Coffee comes in a variety of forms. Beans range from dark to light, and preparation can affect their flavor and potency. For instance, automatic machines quick - ly steep coffee grounds, producing a good but not great cup, while pour-over methods like French Press are meant to slowly pull the ultimate flavor and strength from a bean. Of course, there are hundreds if not thousands of beans and brands to choose from. The infinite choices between brand, grind, brew, and method served keep the coffee business booming, grossing some twen - ty-three billion dollars of revenue in 2017. I’ve been drinking coffee since I was a girl, perturbed when peo - ple said things like, “Aren’t you a little young to be drinking that?” Or, “Coffee will stunt your growth.” Like the desperate adults in line for a hit at Christ View Christian Church are ones to dole out advice. The high they are after comes from more than the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.

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