“What would you like to drink?”
The question blurted out from the speaker at a drive thru. My mind veered playfully and thought to answer “Not the company kool-aid please.” Of course that was not what I said and I drove away with my mountain dew baja blast instead.
But then the drive home was interesting; for that playful thought got me thinking – all to the conclusion that it would be best to retire that expression. And here are a couple of reasons why…
Inaccurate and Distasteful use of a Tragedy
This expression refers to a very tragic event that killed hundreds of Jim Jones cult followers, about 300 of which were children. It is a very distasteful way to make a point. In addition, Kool-Aid wasn’t even what was used to make the poison that everyone drank. (Disclaimer: I am not paid by anyone to make these statements.)
We Contradict Ourselves
By telling someone not to drink something, aren’t we, in effect, telling them to drink what we are peddling. Truth is that such “warning” (or whatever our self-righteousness would call it) is a drink that we offer, flavored by our own sentiments of distrust and wariness. “Don’t drink theirs, drink mine.” is what we truly say… no thanks.
We All Have to Drink Something
Corporate players, entrepreneurs, even the most recluse are drinking something. I meant that figuratively of course, even if that’s literally true. Here are the usual options out there that you think you have.
- Ours is better as it is carbonated
- We have bold flavors to choose from
- Ours is more refreshing as it stays cold longer
- Ours is zero calorie
- We pride ourselves with only natural ingredients
- No preservatives here, ever
- This is not from concentrate
- This is not your grandma’s juice
- This is not juice
In the end, it is a question of what you want.
Drink what you want.
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
It is not about what you choose to drink. It is about you knowing what’s in your drink.
John Cruz writes... 