zenpoint

Let’s take a look today at a simple yet necessary skill: how to drink from a cup. You may have heard most accidents occur in the home, and you’re right, we can’t be too careful. But with proper planning and technique, you can master the art of lidless cup drinking in no time. Give the sippy cups back to the kids, and let’s have some fun.

For today’s lesson we’ll learn to drink while sitting down, the safe and sensible method. Clean off the kitchen table, put the car parts and beauty lotions in the garage, and make sure there’s plenty of room around your chair. Take those pesky pets and put them in your neighbor’s house for safe keeping. Look in the cabinets or closets for a suitable cup, preferably clean, and fill it with your refreshing beverage of choice.  Avoid ones with carbonation, they can be tricky. We’ll move up to those in the advanced class.

All set? Good, let’s get sipping. Take the cup in your best hand, grasping it firmly by the handle. If you notice there isn’t one(handle, not hand) use as many digits as possible, placing them firmly around the cup. With the cup now safely in your grip, let’s learn the proper way to move it from table to lips without incident.

Safe cup drinking procedure involves three skills: aim, speed and force, and proper lip position. Let’s look at the first of these important steps, good aim. The cup should follow an arc from table to mouth, graceful and smooth.  Keep your target in mind at all times. Any wandering of the attention and a mishap may occur. Drinking accidents are more common than you think. A chipped tooth, scalding of the cornea, and nasal inflammation are just a few of the hazards we can avoid by keeping the cup on track. The upper portion of the lower lip is our preferred target area. Concentrate on this point only while lifting the cup. Errant children and spouses will distract your aim, so keep a firm resolve. A relaxed yet focused mind will keep the cup on course.

The single most important step is control of speed and force. A cup of hot coffee shooting up one’s nasal passages is an effective but unnecessary reminder to slow down. Being in a hurry is one of the hazards we should learn to avoid. Remember, your doctor may be a nice guy, but does he really need to miss his tee time while removing porcelain from your forehead? Slow and easy does it. You can pick up speed and bravado later, if your insurance allows. Count slowly while lifting the cup: one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, and you’re there!

When you begin to feel the beverage sliding down your chin and dripping on your best dress, you’ve come far enough, stop. Now we can learn proper lip position. Remember to open your mouth for best results. Slightly protrude your lower lip, placing the cup just past the edge, and into your mouth it goes. Now tip the cup slowly upward until you feel the beverage on your tongue. Keep lifting until the mouth has reached full capacity. Congratulations! No more coffee stains on your good shirts! You’ve learned a valuable skill today, so give yourself a big, safe, pat on the back(spit liquid out in sink or nearest container first for safe keeping).

I’ll cover the proper technique for swallowing in the next article, How to Swallow, and Live, stay tuned.

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