STRICTLY OBSERVING: Coke confessions

In one of my first columns about two and a half years ago, I wrote about my efforts to improve my drinking habits by drinking the Aquacal brand of strawberry flavored water as opposed to Coca-Cola.  Having become quite addicted to the soft drink over the course of my lifetime, I remember telling you that I was uncertain as to how long this change would last.  While I cannot recall exactly how long I was able to hold out, I regret telling you that I have completely fallen off the wagon. 
I do remember, however, that my breaking point occurred after I had gone nine days without a Coke.  I had gone to a George Wythe football game one Friday night and had developed such a craving for a Coke that I fell just short of developing a twitch.  Perhaps that is a slight exaggeration, but it was pretty bad.  Unfortunately, there was no Coke or Aquacal in stock at my house during that time so I had to make my parents stop at a convenience store on the way home.  Another ill-fated factor in this healthy plan was that in the nine days I had gone without a Coke, I had drunk so much Aquacal that I had grown to loathe it.  Therefore, the option of ever drinking Aquacal again is out of the question.  I realize that the cold turkey tactic probably wasn’t my best option for prolonged positive results, but I have always been an all or nothing sort of guy.
So, needless to say, after that first Coke, my self-initiated rehabilitative effort was aborted in a flash.  I now drink as much soda as ever and it has since become a running joke between my closest friends about my being a “Coke addict” and such.  They say this because whenever they visit me, they see the cases of Coke stacked up in my bedroom.  While I try to explain that I am just taking advantage of a good sale (four cases for 10 bucks is hard to beat), they still express their concern in jest. I can’t argue too much because I know they are right but you must realize that my fondness for the popular soft drink has been a lifelong one. 
I remember being in about the third grade.  The paraprofessional that assisted me in school was also my babysitter. On days when she had bus duty, I would have to wait with her after school until her duty period was over.  While I sat there in the cafeteria watching the other teachers return from the faculty lounge with their sodas, I would feel the desperate need for a Coke.  To top it off, my babysitter didn’t keep soft drinks in her house.  So, I would have to wait until late in the evening before having a Coke.  Whenever I misbehaved as a child, my mother would often punish me by cutting off my soft drink supply for the day.  I must say that was a very effective tactic.  Anyway, although I found these early school day routines maddening at times in terms of my beverage choice, I knew it was a much healthier option that I would never have the power to stick to on my own.
When I went to elementary school, of course there were no soda machines available at all other than in the faculty lounge.  All students would have access to would be milk at lunchtime and water from the hall fountains.  Pretty much the same thing could also be said for middle school.  In high school, soda machines were more widely available but were not turned on until 12:30 during the first year.  However, when students began purchasing sodas and bringing them in their afternoon classes, school officials decided to leave the machines turned off during all school hours. 
Now that I am an adult and left to choose my beverage at my own discretion, I don’t think I could ever go an entire day without a Coke like I did in my younger days.  I’d like to say I could make it a New Year’s resolution to strive for that again, but those never tend to work out for me.  However, I hope all your resolutions are in full swing and that your endurance is much better than mine.
A graduate of Wytheville Community College, Zach Cooley lives in Wytheville with his parents. Contact him at .