Android Discovers Hot Chocolate

May 13, 2020

In the Canadian science fiction series Dark Matter, there is a minor but memorable scene in which the ship’s Android -- a naïve, kind, loyal, and fierce character who yearns to be human -- discovers hot chocolate.  Android is offered a taste of cocoa by a human character, but then continues drinking with wide eyes, ultimately refusing to give the mug back.  The human character responds with mild annoyance and amusement.  The interaction reminds me of when I offer my dog a bone, and he grabs it and runs into another room, worried I’ll change my mind and gnaw on it myself.

Anyone who’s walked into my office, or talked to me for more than five minutes, knows that I love chocolate.  I may run out of paper, pens, or hand cream, but I’ll always have chocolate, and I’ll always share it. “Chocoholic” is part of my identity. 

In our current global pandemic, I find that I need chocolate more than ever. Chocolate reminds me that life is meant to be enjoyed and savored, that I’m more complex than wires and metal, or muscles and bone -- and that my sum is greater than my parts.

If chocolate isn’t your thing, find something that is.  Coffee, tea, essential oils, fleece blankets, biking on a spring day.  Nourish yourself.  Sip hot cocoa as if for the first time.

This blog post originally appeared on the Carthage College website. It has been republished with permission.