So I have an addiction. As much as I’ve tried to deny it, I don’t want to quit, nor do I think I’m capable. That addiction is the carbonated beverage of Pepsi.
I’m not even sure what the lure is, even after all of this years. I have been an official Pepsi drinker since I first started high school, 8 years ago. Was it that they had pop machines in high school? Was it the piles of pepsi that we had in our basement when my Dad decided not to sell them in the garage anymore? Who knows. Pepsi has become some sort of pop culture icon that has been recurrent in my life since that first day in grade 9. I even wrote a poem about being lonely on that first day and low and behold a line is (to paraphrase) “as I absently twist off my Pepsi cap”. (This poem may or may not have survived – I’m unsure of its exact location. Rest assured that it’s terrible poetry at best.)
Pepsi also became something to unite me and a very unlikely group of girls. It still seems to be one of the few things that we can all agree on as our lives have taken us in some dispersed directions. We’ve had some good times and some funny inside jokes that all involved Pepsi. Remember the Star Wars Collectors cans? Loads of laughs came out of those. I bet Mandy can still recite the ingredients of a can of Pepsi. Good times.
I own three tee shirts that are Pepsi themed. I’m actually wearing one as I type this. I remember singing along to the commercial jingles of “The Joy of Cola” – how corny is that? But yes, it has turned into a war of loyalty where Coca Cola is the enemy. It’s funny how something so seemingly arbitrary as choice of cola can end up in such a state.
Despite the inevitable harmful effects that I’m sure it’s doing to my body, I still keep drinking it. While I seriously doubt it is for the nostalgic effects and most likely for the sugar and caffiene, it is interesting to look back and see how many inside jokes and comraderie has developed from such a seemingly ordinary choice. So I’ll put on my Pepsi shirt, crack open a can, and look forward to the next inside joke that develops.
I believe that the reason we still drink it is because we actually do love it and are possibly addicted to the caffeine. But I think it’s nice that whenever I see a can of Pepsi, I can always be reminded of the good times of high school. I know there weren’t many, but the ones that were good, are worth remembering, even if they somehow revolve around the famous cola. There are some memories that should be held on to, no matter where you are in your life, and if drinking a cold can of “the next generation” cola does it, then cheers to all!