Peppermint Tea: an Assignment
Posted: Saturday, September 17, 2011
by Jack H. Schick
When I walked into the living room, my wife was sitting on the couch in her pj’s and furry slippers. The big, grey cat was lying on the back of it next to her shoulder keeping a close eye on everything. The little white one was in her lap getting his neck rubbed and purring so loudly I could hear him from there. The puppy was busy gnawing at a rawhide chewy by her feet, and my gun dog was curled up asleep on the green, fake leather chair over in the corner. She had the TV remote in her hand and was switching channels back and forth, like she constantly does, between the baseball game and America’s Stupidest People, or some other goofy show.
“Nothing,” I said. “My group has a writing assignment. We’re supposed to do a story about herbs or fruits that have medical benefits or improve our health in some way, or something like that. I don’t have a clue, or even an interest in coming up with an essay on the topic, and it's our first assignment.”
She switched back to America’s Stupidest just in time for us to see some teenager take a horrendous crash on a skate board and skid along the asphalt on his elbows. She said, “Why don't you do a story on peppermint tea.”
“Peppermint tea?" The kid's arms were all bloody. His friends and the camera man were laughing hysterically. "What can I write about peppermint tea? I don’t like peppermint, and I don’t want to have to do a lot of research on it.” I said.
“It’s wonderful for you stomach.” She got all enthusiastic. “Tell them about the time I was feeling horrible, all bloated and sick to my stomach, and I thought to myself, ‘Gees, I’d sure feel better if I could throw up,’ so I went out to the kitchen to see if there was something that would make me feel better, and I saw the peppermint tea, and I said, ‘Mmmm, peppermint tea.' So, I made some and drank it, and sure enough, I threw up, and then I felt better.”
“I don’t want to write a story about you making yourself throw up!” I said.
“Peppermint tea is good for gas, too.” She switched back to the ball game just in time to see our clean-up hitter whiff at a high fastball for the third out with two men on. “Make up a story about having gas.”
I thought about it for a second. “I suppose I could do a comic essay about having gas, but it would be sort of crude.”
“You could pretend somebody is having a job interview and has really bad gas,” she started sketching out the story line for me. “And, while they are waiting for their interview they say to themselves, ‘I’ll never get the job with gas like this.’ Then they notice that they have peppermint tea in the lobby and they say to themselves, ‘Mmmm, peppermint tea,’ and they have some, and the gas goes away, and they go in and do great, and they get the job, and everybody lives happily ever after. All because of peppermint tea. It would be a great story.”
I actually thought about it for a minute, but then I said, “You’re nuts. I’m not going to do a story about throwing up, or passing gas or peppermint tea! Turn it back to the ball game.”
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)I'm going to give five stars to your wife for this one Jack. Is that really how peppermint tea helps your stomach by making you throw up? I thought it settled your stomach. I will be sure to avoid peppermint tea when at social gatherings.
Jack, this article you have your wife to thank for because she was the one giving you all the clues and it's done. Nice and in peace. haha.Thanks for reading and commenting
Fine story and subtle humor. I was raised on peppermint tea - my mother made her own and everytime I felt a slight cold coming on or was chilled in winter, she brew up the tea. We raised our own few plants (they are very invasive and you have to be super careful they don't take over the whole property). Then we'd pick some stalks, dry them for several days, pluck off and collect the leaves and crumple them up. Into the tea ball they'd go and flavor up the hot water. Down the hatch and, presto, cold would hopefully go away. Peppermint tea is also good for tummy aches - very settling.You'd better correct any misconseptions in the article then. I don't think it's supposed to make you vomit.My mother gave it for a healthy purpose to her family. It most certainly wasn't meant to make us throw up - it was meant to heal.
hi jack, (5 stars-not sure how to use this yet)
i don't think i ever had peppermint tea, because i don't like peppermint either.
this was a funny article, and made me smile. a nice thing to happen right before bed. thank you,
my best regards,
sueThanks for reading and commenting
Peppermint oil on a cotton ball under furniture is supposed to keep mice away, I think.I don't know- thanks for reading
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