Adventures of Mason #2

The Right Speed

I don’t drink coffee regularly.

I want to be clear about that, because I have tried coffee. I don’t hate it. I even like it sometimes. But coffee hits me too fast. It flips a switch instead of turning a dial, and suddenly my brain is sprinting ahead of the day it’s actually in.

Dr Pepper Zero Sugar delivers at just the right speed.

It eases me into being awake without launching me into overdrive. Enough caffeine to be present. Enough sweetness to feel like a small reward. Not so much that I’m vibrating while trying to explain why we can’t wear the dinosaur costume to school.

This is something I’ve learned as a dad: speed matters.

Parenting doesn’t reward maximum energy. It rewards sustainable energy. You don’t need to peak at 8:00 a.m. if you’re going to be needed emotionally at 6:30 p.m. when someone is losing it over the wrong color cup.

Coffee feels like preparing for a crisis I don’t need.

Dr Pepper Zero Sugar feels like preparing for the day I’m actually in.

I’ve always loved pop. Probably too much. I drink more of it than I should. But after leaving most of my other vices behind, it felt like an okay trade-off. A manageable one.

Sobriety has a way of asking you to replace things.

You don’t just stop doing something — you redirect the impulse. The habit. The need for comfort or ritual or a little chemical nudge to get through the day. For me, pop filled a space that used to be occupied by things that cost me far more.

And in return, I get to watch my kids grow up with a mostly clear head.

That feels like a fair exchange.

I’ve thought about switching to Diet Coke. Diet Coke is everywhere. Diet Coke is reliable. Diet Coke feels like the optimized adult choice.

And every time I seriously consider it, I find a really good deal on Dr Pepper.

Which feels less like temptation and more like confirmation.

There’s a version of fatherhood that looks like constant self-improvement. Clean swaps. Perfect systems. Upgrades stacked on upgrades. I respect that version.

But my version involves knowing my limits.

Knowing that too much caffeine too fast makes me less patient. Knowing that small indulgences can be part of staying sober. Knowing that presence matters more than performance.

Being a dad didn’t just teach me how to slow down.

Sobriety taught me why I needed to.

So I’ll keep choosing the right speed. I’ll keep drinking Dr Pepper Zero Sugar when it’s on sale. I’ll keep letting some choices be imperfect as long as they keep me here, steady, and awake for the moments that matter.

My kids don’t need me optimized.

They need me present.