Monday May 3, 2010 | 1 comment
Tea. You have to drink it out of something. I mean, you can’t just lick it off the counter. Well, I guess you could, but no one in their right mind would ever do that. And, if you don’t want to put your mouth to the spout on the teapot and drink it from there, then I would definitely consider investing in a cup.
Everyone always talks about teacups, either the pretty kind that match the teapot and sit on a matching tray with matching sugar bowls and cream pitchers or the spinning ride at Disneyland. I’m talking about the first one. I actually don’t own any teacups like that. Not any that are big enough to use, anyway. What we do own are two teapots – a small glass one and a large shiny silver one. But as for drinking my tea out of something, well…
Usually, I drink my tea out of one of a few objects. The first would be a m
ug. I have a few favorite mugs. One of them is a dark blue color with pictures of cats on it. The other one is a red one that boasts “Tucson Symphony Orchestra.” Sarah likes to drink tea out of a clear mug embossed with pictures of Garfield. And we both use the white ceramic cups that came with our family’s dish set, originally designated for coffee, but they work just as well for tea.
The real question is: does it make a difference what you drink tea out of – whether it is a mug, a coffee cup, a tea cup, a travel mug, or straight from the teapot? Actually, scratch the last one – that would be just plain weird. But any of those other containers to drink it from? In my opinion, it doesn’t make much of a difference. Tea tastes the same regardless of the vessel.
Some people might disagree, but I’m going to keep drinking my tea out of the cups I have. What difference does it make?
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I believe that what we drink our tea out of really does make a difference. I believe that when we engage things, be they tea cups or telephones or pens etc. we develop a relationship of sorts with that object. Who among us doesn’t have a favorite mug or glass? It is the art of the object that inspires and impacts me. Especially when I’m drinking from a hand made cup or vessel, I feel a connection to the artist who made it. I believe that art enriches our lives on a deep level. If we take the time to appreciate a simple cup, or pot or piece of paper that we’re writing on, especially if it’s hand made, we can allow ourselves to be touched and inspired by its maker.