[Delusional Essay] Beer knows the switch for conversation.
[Delusional Essay]
Thirty percent true story, seventy percent delusion.
An essay that starts with a real experience and then wanders off into delusion.
Many of the characters and events are fictional,
but the feelings I've poured into them,
are, after all, true.
Beer knows the switch for conversation.
"Let's start with beer." We enter an izakaya. We take our seats. We open the menu. Then he says, "I'll start with a beer." "No, that's rude to the beer, isn't it?" the guy next to me said with a straight face. Then, the guy sitting across from me stopped flipping through the menu and laughed. "No, beer doesn't feel anything, does it?" The two of them laughed. And then, all three of them looked at me at once. ... Oh no. I know this vibe. It's the "What do you think?" moment. I pretended to think for a moment while staring at the picture of the beer mug. And then, I slowly looked up. "Definitely beer." The three of them burst out laughing. "That's not the point!" "You're missing the argument!" "You just want to drink, don't you?" That's exactly right. I've always been the type to want to break up pointless arguments when they start. Whether it's "I'll start with" or "Let's begin with," it doesn't matter. More than that, the beer in front of me is at its best right now. Alcohol and food have their seasons. They have their temperatures. They have their momentum. That's why trivia doesn't matter. Drinks and snacks should be enjoyed with style. First, a toast. We can talk after that. ... Although, the fact that I'm thinking this seriously about "starting with a beer" probably means I might be more into trivia than anyone else.