Diet Dr. Pepper
Green begins the chapter by explaining the history of diet Dr. Pepper, stating that its origin was in 1885 in Waco, Texas when a pharmacist named Charles Alderton combined twenty-three syrup flavors to create a carbonated drink. This drink was later pioneered by a man named Woodrow Wilson Clements who marketed the soda by saying it has no true flavor identical and was its own unique experience. A successful Diet Dr. Pepper campaign began and it was picked up by Green who enjoyed drinking it as a way to indulge his addiction to unhealthy substances in lieu of a crippling addiction to smoking. I believe Green wrote about Diet Dr. Pepper because it is something he truly enjoys. He is able to spoil himself, in moderation, with a sweet tasting beverage with no long term health downsides. The soda also gave him an outlet to stimulate his brain than the more dangerous alternative of thirty to forty cigarettes a day. I think Green found the meaning of a life of significance through this beverage by allowing him to relish the sweet, unnatural satisfaction. It is a brief moment in his life where he is able to feel relaxed and can take a step back from his daily life. This chapter provided a new light in the sense that sometimes the abnormal or alien things to you are the most important. If you go about your life surrounding yourself in comfort you can never truly explore your potential interests and may miss out on something you enjoy. Diet Dr. Pepper has allowed me to focus on activities that I usually wouldn’t involve myself in like community events, joining study groups, and even tutoring friends. While the Diet Dr. Pepper was simply a symbol for change, it enables everyone to traverse different experiences and live a fulfilling life. I give Diet Dr. Pepper five stars.