I like a good Scotch more than the next guy. Or so I’d like to think.

I have an extensive collection of Scotch bottles from around the world. I use the term Scotch loosely. Scotch is legally and narrowly defined as Scotch from Scotland, made to exacting standards. I won’t say how many bottles I have. Shame does have a place in my life. However, I’ll give you a hint. You should use the word ‘ dozens ‘ to measure the number of bottles.’

I recently heard of a non-alcoholic ‘Scotch.’ I mentioned this sacrilegious beverage to my wife and hinted that it would make a lovely 49^th wedding anniversary gift.

Voila! There it was on our anniversary. She has such good taste in gifts. She always knows what I appreciate.

After properly fondling the bottle and sniffing the cork, I poured the ounce into my crystal glass Scotch glass (another wonderful gift from my wife). I then added a few drops of water from my glass pipette, which again was another gift from the love of my life.

How snobby can I be? Why have a hobby if I can’t be a bit pretentious, just for fun?

I sniffed the contents of my glass after swirling it about.

Different.

Now the first sip. Ah, there was a familiar hint of smoke that lingered just long enough, followed by a spicy bite that lasted for several minutes at the back of my mouth. Some Scotch have a bite without the spice that can disappear right away, or last for a long time and tingle in different parts of the mouth.

Such is the fun of my active Scotch bottles, with regular removal when empty and new ones arriving, coincidentally on special occasions.

All these rituals contribute to the experience and have been a part of it around the world for a long time.

Along comes a disruptor. Something different. Unfamiliar. Challenging.

This new non-alcoholic Scotch was not really Scotch. It didn’t taste like a traditional Scotch.

I was disappointed, as I had hoped to find a new favourite Scotch to drink with friends when I was still driving home.

However, I discovered a new beverage category that has yet to be named. By the time I consumed the ounce of my new drink, I was beginning to overcome my disappointment and appreciate it on its own merits. It has a place in my Scotch collection, perhaps with an asterisk.

Please give this a bit of a think. Have there been people you met, places you’ve been, or rituals you participated in for the first time that didn’t work for you, to put it in simple terms? Were you able to pause your thinking, recalibrate, and assess the situation so you became open to ‘different?’ Different, with first exposure, is not necessarily bad or good. It is just different.

This way of reacting to different, made me a better person. It enriched my life with the people I spent time getting to know, sometimes never agreeing with many of their views, but enjoying the conversations that revealed how folks formed opinions that differed from mine.

I am curious about your thoughts. Please comment below or send me an email with your bit of a think.

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glenn.walmsley@icloud.com