02009 New Year's Resolution #14: Cut Back on the Soda

It seems to me that a fairly good number of my New Year's Resolutions have been aimed, in some way, towards "self improvement" — whether that's in terms of how I view the world (1, 2, 7), in terms of taking more responsibility for my share of the stewardship of the planet (8, 13), in terms of trying to improve my odds of living a long healthy life (6), in terms of trying to improve my lot in life or feel better about my value in it (3, 4, 12), or just in terms of trying to be more accommodating of others (1, 10).

Perhaps the "self improvement" aspect of things is just part of the nature of the exercise. I don't remember ever hearing of anyone making a New Year's Resolution to contract AIDS or to take up crack or to make lots of people cry.

Anyway, I suppose that my 14th New Year's Resolution of 02009 hits on at least a couple of these ideas (stewardship of the planet and working towards improving my own health):

I resolve that I will significantly cut back on my own consumption of soda and opt for water instead, most of the time.

We have perfectly potable well water here at our house. I have a reusable Nalgene-type bottle that I can use to carry about 35 oz. of said well water with me. (It's a rare day when I really feel the need to drink more than 35 oz. of water while I'm out of the house at work, for example). Every time I buy another 2 liter bottle of Tropicana Twister (lately my soda of choice), that's yet another 2 liter bottle that didn't need to be manufactured and that now needs to go through the recycling process. Why not just stop demanding it?

I've been trying to cut back already, with some success. I'm no longer going through two liters every couple of days. I want to get to the point where I just completely stop bringing soda into the house for my own consumption.

I still like a soda (Tropicana Twister, Coke Classic, Mountain Dew, Sunkist), and there's simply no denying that I enjoy drinking it more than I enjoy drinking water. I'm not aiming to go cold turkey. If I'm offered a soda while I'm out, I'll probably continue to accept it. And when I'm out on the road and find myself in need of a fresh drink, given that a disposable bottle is a disposable bottle (no matter what comes in it), I'm likely still to opt for bottled soda instead of bottled water. When we go to the movies, I suppose I'll still go for a big cup of Coke. But there's just no denying that, historically, most of what I've been drinking over the last many years has been in the form of soda that I brought into the house in 2 liter plastic bottles. While it may be yummy, it's also wasteful. So I'm going to try to curtail it.

From what I hear, water is better for me anyway. (Who'd've thunk it?)

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