i'm thirsty for some self esteem
Have you ever noticed those drink people? Those ones that always have to have a drink? A water bottle. A cup of coffee. A soda. I find it so odd. I’m not talking about having a water bottle at the gym, or a cup of coffee at the office. I’m talking about the people who bring them to borderline inappropriate places.
I’ve always noticed it, but the first time that I became hyper-aware of it was at a friends wedding. It was (no joke) over a hundred degrees, and there was no air conditioning in the church. The flower arrangements were literally dripping. The bride and groom were kind enough to pass out cold water to the guests prior to the wedding, so everyone had a water bottle. What struck me as odd was the girl, in attendance alone, with a cup of coffee from starbucks. A hot cup. I honestly think it was a prop for her. She was adorable, so she shouldn’t have felt odd being there alone, but she had her arm up on the back of the pew as if she weren’t alone. As if her arm was around someone else. And in that hand, was the coffee. Like the coffee was her date. I don’t know if she was aware, but subconsciously she was shouting, “I am not alone, I have hot coffee on this 102 degree day. Coffee = not alone, so there.”
Inevitably there will be someone in church with a misplaced water bottle. No, I am not talking about nursing mothers who get beyond thirsty, or even people with (insert random health problem here). Have water if you need it. I’m talking about the person who takes the care to look fabulous, all dolled up in their Sunday-go-to-meetin’ garb and then muck it up with an obviously very re-used water bottle. How thirsty are you? Can you not sit an hour in church without a drink? I am telling you. It is some kind of bizarre prop.
Or the guy in my corner of the universe who walks his kid to school every day with his mug of miscellaneous hot beverage. It’s not even a travel mug. It’s this avocado green, chipped, ceramic mug. The kicker is, he lives only two houses from the school, it is five minutes, maybe, round trip. It is tragic how badly he needs to have a purpose other than walking his kid to school. He is clearly not a man if he doesn’t have his mug. It is his prop.
Now I’m going to spend my day obsessing on what my prop is. I hope I don’t have one.
arrivederci, rebecca marie
I’ve always noticed it, but the first time that I became hyper-aware of it was at a friends wedding. It was (no joke) over a hundred degrees, and there was no air conditioning in the church. The flower arrangements were literally dripping. The bride and groom were kind enough to pass out cold water to the guests prior to the wedding, so everyone had a water bottle. What struck me as odd was the girl, in attendance alone, with a cup of coffee from starbucks. A hot cup. I honestly think it was a prop for her. She was adorable, so she shouldn’t have felt odd being there alone, but she had her arm up on the back of the pew as if she weren’t alone. As if her arm was around someone else. And in that hand, was the coffee. Like the coffee was her date. I don’t know if she was aware, but subconsciously she was shouting, “I am not alone, I have hot coffee on this 102 degree day. Coffee = not alone, so there.”
Inevitably there will be someone in church with a misplaced water bottle. No, I am not talking about nursing mothers who get beyond thirsty, or even people with (insert random health problem here). Have water if you need it. I’m talking about the person who takes the care to look fabulous, all dolled up in their Sunday-go-to-meetin’ garb and then muck it up with an obviously very re-used water bottle. How thirsty are you? Can you not sit an hour in church without a drink? I am telling you. It is some kind of bizarre prop.
Or the guy in my corner of the universe who walks his kid to school every day with his mug of miscellaneous hot beverage. It’s not even a travel mug. It’s this avocado green, chipped, ceramic mug. The kicker is, he lives only two houses from the school, it is five minutes, maybe, round trip. It is tragic how badly he needs to have a purpose other than walking his kid to school. He is clearly not a man if he doesn’t have his mug. It is his prop.
Now I’m going to spend my day obsessing on what my prop is. I hope I don’t have one.
arrivederci, rebecca marie
proclaimed by rebecca marie at 9:53 AM
27 flattering compliments:
yes...i totally see what you're saying. I was just talking about this the other day with a gal at work. Are you so thirsty that you need to have it with you at all times? We were both in music and we were talking about the divas who had to carry around their drink and always had scarves on to protect their precious chords. Really, in Stockton, you need to have a scarf on at all times? It's 60 degrees out. People are ridiculous and I... am not. :)
I understand the book (that you don't even pick up) while eating lunch alone. The newspaper while flying. Even the "I'll just make my hands look full so I don't have to shake his hand" but I have never understood the inappropriate place to have a drink drink. Yes, at some churches, they even have coffee break. Totally appropriate. But the person that comes in late to a meeting and their coffee is front and center? Or the person that leans down in church to have a drink of water? My no speakie.
And off subject? Remember that guy that used to clip his nails during church? Really? They are so long that you'll DIE if you don't clip them now? Clip Clip Clip. Haunts me to this day.
Hi. My name is Mia and I'm one of THOSE people. I'm addicted to Diet Coke, and no, I never am without it. I don't think it's necessarily a crutch thing as it is a I need my constant infusion of caffiene thing.
but mia, let's say you had to, oh, i dunno, testify in court. would you have it with you? i know soda addicted friends. but they don't bring it to church, you know?
i'm talking about the people who have it at truly inappropriate times.
like funerals.
Allan and I had a good, albeit quiet, laugh at TLC on Sunday (a big-ish gathering of a number of area churches). A lady walked in late, with a carrying tray stacked full of Starbucks drinks. As she paraded down the aisle, we were holding our breath, ready for the tray to go flying. She just kept walking...and walking...until she was front and center of the auditorium. "Excuse me, Mr. Important Speaker, I know you are talking about unity and traust in the churches and all that. I'm here on the front row to show my ultimate devotion to God and respect for you. But, first things first, my friends and I need coffee. We'll try not to slurp too loudly."
I am a water drinker. I always have to have water with me no matter what. I even take it to places where I know there will be water. When we go to a friends or family's house. I just like to bring MY own water. I have always done this. I also bring a ton. When I was pregnant it was worse. I brought 4 or more bottles of water. Sometimes I drank it all other times I only drank one or two bottles.
I know part of it is I HATE tap water. Even if it is filtered. It STILL tastes like tap water. So I don't like drinking water from other peoples places unless it is bottled. Also juice that has to be mixed with water. I have to mix it with bottles water. Or it will taste like tap water juice. When Gabe makes juice he uses tap water and I DON'T drink it then. He gets all mad and doesn't understand why. Oh well. It is just me but hey everyone has a thing.
Excellent thoughts. I concur that it is a prop. And can I say that very re-used water bottles completely gross me out?
Back in the old days when I used to frequent Starbucks, I do remember walking around holding my Starbucks cup and thinking, "Yeah, I look cool because I drink Starbucks."
Of course, I've given up caffeine AND the coffee cup prop since, and I now know the true meaning of cool.
Kristi~
I saw that woman on Sunday too. Ron elbowed me and said she is going to dump those!
Rebecca Marie,
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You know what I hate? When people's props are their pets. I.E. Paris Hilton and her poor abused rat of a dog who's always dressed up in pink. Poor thing.
Here I was ready to come to the blog and ask if you saw someone Sunday at TLC with a drink and here everyone has already mentioned it. I guess grape juice (or fruit of the vine as the guy said Sunday--although I think it was wine) is not enough to drink during church.
BTW--A few years ago I had an old farmer (about 85 years old) in Missouri tell me that drinking something hot in the summer cools you down because it makes your body warmer than the outside. Thats why he drinks coffee in the summers. Course he's dead now--that might be why?
kmiv - don't make me start quoting the guy ("NO WHERE in the bible does it say WINE. it SAYS fruit of the vine...."). i think it was wine, too, seeing as how there wasn't a big grape juice business in nazareth. hee hee.
now now, don't start throwing tomatoes (or grapes, or any other fruits of the vine) anyone. i'm not making fun of the message... not at all. it just brought up yet another item to have a healthy debate about.
sorry to all of you who weren't at TLC, i know how annoying "you had to be there," stuff can be.
Would the miracle at the wedding in Cana be as spectacular if Jesus turned the water into grape juice?
I know a guy who, in college, would carry one of those giant 72 kabillion oz mugs with him everywhere, filled with diet coke. He was 400+ lbs and 6'5". It makes me wonder if that is just his "trademark" or if he really just likes drinking diet coke.
you are so welcome, dutch treats! i find that telling people they are lame for carrying their water around to be a beyond helpful beauty tip, so i'm so glad you agree! i'm so glad we met! come back to my blog often!
(p.s. how did you know that my friends call me blogger?)
I keep thinking about Bill Lumberg, "Yeah, did ya get the memo? We're putting cover sheets on our TPS reports now."
Reminds me of Office Space; Lumbergh with his coffee cup. Yeeeaahh, listen Peter...
my husband takes a ceramic coffe cup with him on the bus to school sometimes . . . because he hates the way coffee tastes in a travel mug. silly boy.
i bring water with me places just because i NEVER drink it (you know those 8, 8 ounce glasses you are supposed to get? i don't get it) so i lug it around with me to be sure that i at least get 32 oz . . . but i leave it in my bag or car if the situation is inappropriate (such as an indoor funeral--outdoors in the summer is a dif. story. i went to one this summer where they did hand out water) . . . but i don't judge those who do bring coffee to church. i am that girl. and no, it's not my prop. it's my medication.
right, see tabitha, you get it. i usually have water with me, i just don't take it where inappropriate. and, depending on the flavor of the church, every other person has coffee. but you see what i mean...
Tomatoes are fruit of the vine...it looks more like blood too...I think we should drink V8 from the communion shot glasses.
I like how you refuse to turn on the word verification and just make fun of the blog spammers.
"How did you know my friends all call me Blogger?"
i would just like to thank you for so graciously claiming that we passed out water at the wedding, cause truth be told, the heat caught us off guard and we were NOT so gracious to our guests as to hydrate them (unless if someone bought water and passed it out and I just never knew about it) you're a true friend for making up for my wedding faux pas!
also, and i realize i'm really late in the water bottle discussion...although i'm not the awkward water bottle type, i do find myself taking hot tea or coffee with me when i go places i may feel insecure or lonely...just to be sure. i wouldn't so much put my arm around my imaginary friend, but you know that ridiculous feeling of picking someone up at the airport and you're early and you just stand there at the security checkpoint and wait...wait...wait....well coffee seems to help me not feel completely stupid doing that. warm soothing liquid confidence...
I have a prop. My diaper bag. I would fell soooo insecure without it... =D
Hey Becky
I have been reading your blog off & on since your mom told my mom (Jan) about it. I am so one of those people that brings their water with them everywhere. It seems to be attached to my hand. I really do get thirsty all the time & yes I do bring it to church.
Denise
ha ha... hey denise! it's been a looooong time! how are you? it seems there is about a fifty fifty split on the water/prop issue. too funny.
Why is everyone admitting to being lame? Why would you do that? She told you all you have a stupid prop and you all say "look at my prop!" Idiots.
You know what bothers me, Rebecca, are cell phone props. I mean please, you know half those people are not talking. Like during our ten minute break in class, half of us go to the coffee shop for a cup of self-esteem and the other half are in the hallway with their cell phone prop. Exactly who are those people talking to? And can they not wait two hours to talk? Please! At least my prop keeps me awake during class...
hey anonymous... play nice at my blog.
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