May 17, 2021
I almost died over a cup of coffee
Until recently I was a great coffee lover. Every day I had 3 to 5 espresso’s and I was not going for the cheap stuff — I drank only expensive, boutique coffee! But no matter what coffee I was drinking I wasn’t prepared for this…
In 2018 we went on a vacation with my family in Greece. We had a fairly good vacation with the normal mix of midday Ouzo cocktails, burst of laugh and moments of pure chaos only a one-year-old can snarl-up.
On the way back, me and my wife made a plan to wake up 5:00 am so we can travel in low traffic and before it gets too hot for a drive. We had NO coffee because the machine was too loud and was going to wake up the others in the cottage we were renting. At 5:45 we were on the road and I had only one thought in my mind: “COFFEEee…”!
After 15 minutes of driveing something miraculous happened — on the side of a very sharp turn I caught with my eyes unbelievable sight — an open coffee shop! Open coffee shop in 5:45 am in Greece… it was more likely to see an elephant balancing with his trunk on top of a pencil. I clearly remember saying to myself “wow, couldn’t we stop the get just one coff…” and the next thing I saw was the airbag hitting my face… The car was squeaking and moaning — the metal was fighting the fight I have lost in the second before — the one for me and my family’s lives. My wife and my baby screamed scared… and I would never imagined this could be sound that could comfort rather than petrify ones soul.. but I knew they were alive!
Thank God we got out only with scare and scratches and for me an additional extra — an inexcusable regret! I was not the one going out of my line (as the investigation later proved), but If I was fully alerted I could have avoided that truck (yes - it was a truck). Few centimeters to the left and it was going to be head crash. God gave us a hand that morning and showed us His grace, but I have never forgot the last word in my mind that as well might of truly been the last in my life… it was… “coffee”.
I haven’t putted a drop in my mouth for a year! Not because it was coffee’s fault! Not because it is not good for my health, or because it is too expensive for a habit to keep, but because unknowingly I have allowed to that substance to hijack my true self and to keep it as hostage every morning until I subside and pay may ransom again and again! In the day of our crash I fully grasped on the wise words that I have read probably a year ago, written by that famous polish doctor:
“There is no addiction that could be described as healthy!”
- dr. Gabbor Matte
You never know how small weaknesses might get you in big trouble, so better get rid of them if you can! And even if we are not that guy that is going die in the tube, felling on the rails because we were texting a message (true case in Sofia’s subway by the way), we should never the less consider the possibility that the disability to control ourselves and our focus can drive us out of the road literally or as a figurative speech.
