This blog is billed as a venue for discussion of “politics, public policy and life experience.”

Thus, I have a life experience to share.

I am trying to wean myself — more or less — of caffeine. It’s much harder than I thought it might be.

I went all day Sunday without caffeine. Truth be told, I was a bit out of sorts. I suffered from a dull headache for much of the day. I swallowed some pain pills twice before going to sleep last night.

I’ve known all along about the addictive qualities of caffeine. I consume it mostly through coffee. I love the taste of coffee in the morning. I don’t drink the stuff usually past 10 or 11 a.m. After that, I’m good for the rest of the day.

My wife and I keep hearing about how caffeine dehydrates you and how that, by itself, is bad for the body. At my age, at least, I need to do whatever I can to protect the only body I’ve ever had.

So I’ve decided to cut myself off from caffeine.

Now, understand this: It’s not a complete, cold-turkey break — such as what happened in February 1980 when I quit smoking cigarettes.

The circumstance is different. I didn’t enjoy smoking. I took no particular pleasure in inhaling smoke into my lungs. I just did too much of it and it sickened me to the point of declaring, “That’s it! I’m done!” I crumpled the pack of weeds and tossed ’em into the trash.

I’ve been smoke-free ever since. Thirty-six years. I’m proud of myself.

Coffee is different.

I enjoy a cup o’ joe in the morning. Even two, maybe three or four cups of it.

I just have to curtail my consumption of it.

My wife reminds me that there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with having a cup or two of coffee each day. I get it.

Thus, my life isn’t going to change so dramatically that I’m going to declare my body a Caffeine Free Zone.