Mulling It Over in My Mind

Well my Easter turned out to be a good one, spent with friends who have similar culinary tastes to mine. They made Cuban sandwiches and pitchers of mojitos. If you’ve never had one, you’re crazy and must start drinking them immediately. Same for eating Cuban sandwiches.

Oh sure, you might be on one of those “health kicks,” and that’s fine, but it really would be a shame to go through life not having experienced either of these things. I thank my friends for their generosity, and for making a holiday that is inherently difficult for me so much better.

Drinking the cocktail reminded me of my days in Madrid, when we used to frequent a bar that specialized in another mulled drink, the caipirinha from Brazil. It’s sugar-based, like the mojito, but because it pairs the sugar with limes, instead of with mint, it’s bitterer than its Cuban cousin.

Both drinks give me a most pleasant buzz. Everything blurs at the edges, like a Vaseline-treated lens from a 1970’s soap opera. Sounds that grated on your nerves blend into the background, and you hear waves hitting beaches, even when you’re landlocked.

I can’t remember the name of the club where we used to drink the caipirinhas. I’m not even sure where it is anymore, as the memory has faded with the years. I’ll need to check with my buddies from that era, and see what they come back with.

What I do remember is settling into comfortable chairs and downing the drinks in rapid succession, amid much laughter and commotion. The music was good, too, I seem to recall.

Of course, that was a more carefree time, with fewer responsibilities than I have now. Today was a good reminder, though, that having responsibilities does not preclude having fun and enjoying the joys of food and drink.

I’m very blessed, in many ways, not the least of which is to be able to take part in days like today. I’m thankful for what I have, and must always remember that we share ourselves with the Earth, and the others on it, for a relatively brief period of time. It’s for this reason that we must make sure to LIVE.