The Bottled Water Generation

Yesterday was a hot (91 F) day in Rio as we traveled up to Sugar Loaf Mountain. That may not seem hot, especially to my friends on the left coast, but in the humidity and strong sun of the tropics, it's pretty bad. All four of us got dehydrated to a certain degree. But Heidi and I fared much better than her parents. OK, her parents are older, but I don't think that was the reason. No, we're more lame for our age.

We fared better because we drank more water. A LOT more. We each drank at least a liter. Heidi's parents, on the other hand, kept saying they had water and pointing it out, when we offered some, but we NEVER saw them drink any. Perhaps they drank some, but if you're getting dehydrated you need to be constantly drinking water. You should never be seen without a bottle of water in your hand, ready to take the next drink.

My mother openly admits that she can't drink much water. Heidi's parents certainly drink more, but they're not used to it.

They're all not used to drinking a lot of water, because they belong to the Tap Water Generation. This was pre-bottled water, and pre-diet soda (except for maybe Tab, which was disgusting). You couldn't drink much soda because it was loaded with calories, and you didn't drink much tap water because it was...well...tap water. So they never got used to drinking a lot of water, or a lot of anything for that matter.

Heidi and I, when we grew up, weren't used to drinking a lot of water either, but we were young enough when diet soda and later bottled water came on the scene that we were OK with both of these. But our parents? Diet soda is awful. Water? Bottle Water? You *pay* for water???!!! To them, who grew up poor, paying for water is a decadence that is really hard to succumb to without feeling guilty. They do Brita at home, and they will pay for bottled water, but it appears to me they feel dirty doing so, and they certainly aren't used to guzzling it.

But Heidi and I, we're of the Bottled Water Generation. We see the dollar value in paying extra for good-tasting water (Heidi likes the taste of tap water, but she also likes the convenience of pre-bottled water, and she agrees bottled water does taste better sometimes). And we certainly understand the value in drinking lots and lots of water, especially when it's hot and/or we exert ourselves. And you really should be willing to drink it warm. Up to your body temperature, I would say. That's pretty damn warm.

But don't get me started on the vitamin water, energy drinks, and such. We're not in THAT generation. I'm sure they've figured out something we haven't. But right now I'm in the phase of not understand any of those things.