Diet Coke...A Love Story

     I grew up in a home where we were not allowed to drink caffeinated beverages.  No coffee, no tea, no Coke, or Pepsi.  This was a hard, fast rule that was not to be broken.  I even remember being out to dinner with my family when we heard the news that Dr. Pepper had caffeine.  I was devastated, because I knew it was the end of that deliciousness.  Once my grandparents came to visit and they had driven about 10 hrs or so.  I got in their car and saw cans of Tab and Pepsi!  I couldn't believe it.  Concerned that my grandfather had been doing something so scandalous, I asked my mom about it. She said that my grandfather had to drink it because it was too hard to drive all that way without it. I accepted that there was a need for him to have the caffeinated soda, so it was ok.
     So growing up, I was a pretty good girl who didn't like to break the rules.  BUT, at the end of my senior year, (and I'm not sure how it happened), I started drinking Diet Coke.  It started off slow, maybe a can at lunch once in a while because I clearly couldn't drink it at home.  But then I got a job at a restaurant/cafe the summer before my freshman year of college where we could drink all the soda we wanted.  I worked very long hours, 6 at night until 4 in the morning, so there was a lot of Diet Coke consumed.  Diet Coke with lime to be exact. I developed a great appreciation for my grandfather's willingness to take one for the team, in order to make it through the night.  And that willingness...it turns out, was delicious.
     College introduced the daily ritual of 32 oz Diet Coke with pebble ice from the Conoco. In fact, in a round about way, Diet Coke is what led me to meet my husband.  Scott's brother Rob worked at the Conoco where I made my daily stop and I got to know him, so then I was able to meet Scott...go figure.  Diet Coke quickly became my favorite part of the day.  Going to get a Diet Coke was fulfilling and just made everything better.  If I was sad, I'd go get a Diet Coke.  If I was celebrating, I'd go get a Diet Coke. If I met a new guy, I'd go get a Diet Coke.  If I was bored, I'd go get a Diet Coke.  And, if it was from Harts it was even better.  Harts was a gas station west of the dorms and I don't know how, but their Diet Coke was better than everybody else's.  Maybe it was the hearts on the outside of their cups, or their see-through lids and red straws, but get a Harts Diet Coke and a frosted pink sugar cookie and all was right with the world.
     I will now let you in on my greatest moment of shame associated with my Diet Coke addiction.  My Sophomore year at BYU, my parents bought me a cute little Honda Spree scooter.  It was a one seater, bright red and it was awesome!!  What was the 1st thing I did after my parents left town and I was on my own?  I rode down to the store to fill my Harts 44 oz refill mug.  The first part of my trip went just great.  I got my mug refilled and then held on to it with my right hand as I drove home. Everything was going fine until I had to get up the 1 inch lip to the sidewalk where I would park my scooter.  I needed to give my scooter a little bit of gas to get over the lip,with my right hand, while almost simultaneously grabbing the brake with the same right hand.  What could possibly go wrong?
     I tentatively released the brake and gave a little bit of gas with my right hand (still holding the beloved beverage).  Not enough gas. I gave it a little more...almost there..and then BAM!  up I went, over the lip of the curb.  So at this point, there was about 25 feet before the sidewalk ended and then there's a patch of grass and a fence.  I quickly reached with my right hand (still clutching my baby) to grab the brake, but as I did so, I inadvertently pulled hard on the gas and was suddenly hitting Mach 5, speeding toward the fence.  I tried braking again, and I accelerated again!  The only way to stop was to drop the prized soda, and that was soooo not going to happen!  So, right before the scooter hit the fence, I screamed (maybe cursed a little, loudly) and jumped off the scooter, letting it crash onto the grass and run into the fence.  I clutched my precious Diet Coke and ran inside to my apartment.  I couldn't believe what had just happened.  It was one of the scariest experiences of my life!  I'd almost lost 44 oz of my precious Diet Coke!!  I rushed to change my clothes, threw on a hat and walked back outside to where my scooter was lying next to the fence.  I exclaimed loudly "Look what my sister did to my scooter!  I can"t believe it!", just in case anyone had witnessed what just happened.  I picked it up, checked for damages (none, except for my ego), and parked it.  Then, I went back inside to enjoy my cool and delicious Diet Coke.  I actually thought I got away with it until the end of the year when a guy who lived in an upstairs apartment said to me, "Didn't you crash your scooter at the beginning of the year?".  I quickly replied, "No, that was my sister." Busted.
     My love for Diet Coke continued for 24 years.  I would quit only during pregnancies and would look forward to the end of my nursing so that I could start drinking it again.  It greeted me in the morning, it went to bed with me each night.  Diet Coke was more than a drink or a way to quench my thirst.  It was how I functioned every day.  But not for the caffeine.  I could drink 32 oz right before bed and fall quickly to sleep.  It made me feel great.  It relieved stress and made things right. I chose restaurants by whether or not they carried Coke products (and yes, I knew which ones did).  I couldn't start a project until I got my Diet Coke. I wouldn't sit down to read a book until I had my Diet Coke by my side.  Diet Coke got me through 2 years of Girl's Camp.  It was a part of me. For those of you who have the same addiction, you know what I'm talking about.  But with all addictions, admitting it is the 1st step, and I knew I had a problem.
     I had a Diet Coke in my hand or within 5 steps every moment of every day.  I didn't drink anything else except water with dinner.  Diet Coke makes almost everything taste better, especially Mexican food and In-n-Out Burger.  But I would drink Diet Coke right after finishing a bowl of cereal.  It was what I did.  Until this point, I don't think I've ever really admitted how much Diet Coke I drank, but I would guess easily 2, 44oz sodas each day.  I know, I know, I know.
     I happened to get a really bad flu about a year and a half ago.  The type of flu where you think you are going to die, but the doctor says it's a virus, so just wait it out.  I wasn't eating or drinking anything, even my precious Diet Coke.  I was unable to keep much down, so not much went in.   I had lost my voice for weeks because of dehydration, so as I started to feel better I just drank water. I took a look at my addiction to Diet Coke (because that's what it was) and decided enough was enough.  I didn't want it to rule me anymore. And, long story short, I haven't had Diet Coke since that day I got sick.  Wait--I did have a sip of Scott's about 2 months into my Diet Coke rehab and to my surprise, it didn't taste the same!  It was nothing like I had remembered.  Weird!  I was relieved, because if had been the same, I probably would have just kept drinking.
     But here's the thing.  When I tell people I quit they say "Oh, don't you feel so much better?"  NO, I don't.  I don't sleep better, I'm not happier, I don't feel different.  But I think my bones are probably thanking me. I didn't move on to caffeine-free Diet Coke (eeeuuuwwww!) or other soda.  I am now addicted to water, or rather, having a bottle of water next to me every moment of the day.  No wonder smokers have to chew gum.  The physical part of the addiction lasted for a long time.
     I still see Diet Coke commercials and feel a little giddy.  When I hear Scott open a can, it lightens my mood.  I know it's wonderful and I appreciate the love everyone has for it.  I read an e-card that said something like "When a waiter asks me after ordering a Diet Coke, "Is Diet Pepsi OK?"  I say, 'Sure, is Monopoly money OK?' ".  It's so true.  There is no substitute for Diet Coke.  It's fabulous.
     As I said, this is a love story.  But not all love stories end with the lovers riding off in to the sunset. Sometimes, you have to let something you love free.  So --Go Diet Coke.  Move on and share your love with the rest of the world.  I'll be here sipping my water, cherishing the memories of the  magical times we shared.  And remember, it's not you...it's me.