Malort

I’m not a drinker by any means. I don’t brew my own beer… in fact I don’t drink beer. So what I mean by saying I’m not a drinker is that I’ve never really acquired the taste for alcohol in any of its magnificent forms. I’m guessing I have a tasty adult beverage about 3 times a month… but who’s counting? My friends on the other hand, seem to have one with every meal and can describe to me the intricacies of how to pair drinks with certain foods. ​

One friend in particular is gifted with the clever skill of creating and mixing drinks. And apparently he is quite good at it though his genius is lost on me as every drink tastes the same… pretty unappealing… that is until recently. ​

In June, my friend persuaded me to drink something he made for me with me in mind. I drank it slowly and it was quite good. I mention this because later that night once everyone else had gone to sleep, the two of us stayed up and did our usual late night bantering… he is one of my closest friends to this day so there is always MORE to talk about. As our conversation came to a close, he handed me a shot glass barely filled… let’s say 1/4 of the way. Then he said, “Drink up.” 

Well, thanks to the success of his drink from earlier, he had gained my trust a bit more than usual. You see, I’m the guinea pig. Friends try to win by selecting or mixing a drink that Phil actually likes. So it’s not uncommon for various concoctions to be coming my way yet always ending with the same results. But since last time was different, I thought maybe things were finally changing for me, and perhaps this time would also be different. The drink certainly smelled pretty strong, but hey, why not?!? 

I’ll tell you why not… it was fowl! From the moment it splashed onto my tongue to hours later when I fell asleep, that peculiar, unpleasant taste was still vivd and burning in my mouth. The flavor was unmistakable and once it went down, I looked straight at my friend and asked him if he liked it. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head in a manner that communicated to me that he wasn’t crazy about it either. “Then why?” I begged out loud unable to rid my mouth of the awful flavor. He said, “It’s tradition” and laughed. And honestly, I laughed too. But let me assure you, that this is one tradition I will not be participating in again. It was terrible. I still feel like I can taste it today over a month later.

That’s just the truth with some things. Once you taste them you cannot un-taste them. They are now with you… a part of you forever. 

That friend I mentioned… he is also one of those things that I cannot un-taste. I love him and I always will. He’s MORE than a friend… he’s a brother. And my life has been and continues to be shaped by him even with tremendous distance between us and all the stuff of life that gets in the way. His friendship, care and love have a very distinct taste… something I will never forget… something I will never be able to get away from.

It reminds of a verse from the bible about we as people being unable to run away from the love of God…  that there is nowhere we can we go to escape it. 

Love. It sure does taste good. 

So who is it for you? 
What is it for you? 

The taste that has made a lasting impact upon your life… that which you cannot un-taste that continues to shape your story moving forward. 

What is the taste you’ll never escape and never forget?