Who Exactly are These Morning People?

I have never been a morning person. Which is kind of funny, because for six years my mornings existed while some of you hadn't even gone to sleep yet. I was up BEFORE the guy who made the donuts, garbage men were still sleeping, and the morning newspaper? Well, let's just say news was still being made.

I don't know what I was thinking taking a job that had me get to work at 2:00 in the morning, but I do know it made me somewhat of a zombie. I had never really drank coffee at all in my life. There was the occasional cup at holiday gatherings, though I was more of a tea guy. Not the kind of tea guy that could tell the difference Earl Grey and Chamomile, but I liked tea way better than coffee.

I still have a mug from when I was a kid

It probably had something to do with my parents. They drink coffee black and that was something that I was never going to put in my system.  If I were to ever drink coffee, it would have to be with cream and sugar. The problem is that I don't think my house had cream OR sugar growing up... so black it was. And not only was it black, it tasted like the worst bitter liquid that anyone on earth could consume. It seemed more like car fuel than human fuel.  My parents have gotten better at making coffee, but only because you can disguise the taste with flavorings, something I make sure they have on hand.

I didn't drink much coffee in college either.  It wasn't coffee that got us through late night cramming sessions, it was chicken wings. We would always order from the same place.  I don't know what it was about those wings, but looking back about them now, I think some still had feathers on them. Maybe coffee would have been better, but at the time Sal's Sassy Sauce was what fueled us. That or video games.

I didn't even drink coffee when I first had kids. I know it's hard to believe if you scour social media nowadays, but here I was - a parent that didn't drink coffee. Shoot me if you must, but based on my history with the stuff, or lack there of, coffee was never on my radar. I think what got me through the early stages of parenthood was the fact that my wife did all the overnight feedings. SHE was the one who needed coffee. Before you get all mad at me for not doing my part, she was the one with the boobs that lactated, not me. Besides that was about to change pretty drastically.

When my son turned four months old, I switched my schedule at work to start working in the early morning (or was it late night?). The change was actually pretty crazy. I had worked that schedule a few times but never on a regular basis so I didn't really know what working that schedule could do to the human body.  Long story short, don't ever jump at the chance to work that early in the morning. You become reliant on coffee and if you are anything like me after drinking one cup, you become reliant on a bathroom as well... which was pretty difficult since I didn't work your typical office job. Coffee makes me have to go and it's not easy to do when you have NO WHERE to go. But I never would have been able to get through the day without at least three cups of coffee

I no longer have that work schedule as I left that job almost seven years ago to be a full time stay at home parent. I'm still not much of a morning person and I never truly understood people who are. I prefer to stay up late watching terrible TV shows than waking up early to do anything. I still drink coffee, but it has to taste good. I'm at the point in my life where nothing goes in my body that I'm going to think is disgusting.

I have never been really good at making coffee. Perhaps I have the same genes as my parents, so I would always head out to one of those fancy coffee shops.  You know, the ones where they draw little pictures in your latte or spice up your cappuccino with one of those cinnamon sticks? We all know what the problem is there though...it's way too expensive.

If I'm not golfing, you can find me in the morning working the garden

Fortunately you can get the same coffee shop flavor with Folgers® Coffeehouse Blend that you can brew right in your own home. Pour it over ice, use a french press, or even cold brew it. You can have the same coffeehouse feel without ever changing out of your pajamas. Folgers Coffeehouse Blend is a medium/dark roast designed to start off smooth and finish with a distinct bold flavor. A coffee this versatile might even be able to turn me into a morning person.

Well... let's not go crazy.

**I have partnered with J.M. Smucker Smucker and Life of Dad on this #ShouldBeOnACoffeeMug campaign. All opinions are my own.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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