I hear we all have our addictions. I prefer to think of some of mine as "winning formulas." I share Chuck Palahniuk's admiration for addicts. "In a world where everybody is waiting for some blind, random disaster, or some sudden disease, the addict has the comfort of knowing what will most likely wait for him down the road. He's taken some control over his ultimate fate, and his addiction keeps the cause of death from being a total surprise.”
So, why are my addictions mostly confined to blogging, skating, listening to Meet the Robinsons, and eating chocolate? I was told (in jest?) that I would have to start drinking when I started my current job. Why haven't I?
Well, for one thing, alcoholic beverages are pretty expensive (both for my wallet and my RDI of calories). I don't mind being different from the "norm"; I've had a lot of practice marching to my own drummer.
I consider myself very lucky that I haven't had much interaction with people for whom alcoholism is a serious problem. Even coming across stories about accidents drinking has caused is upsetting enough. However, I hope that, if I ever find myself inextricably involved with someone who needs help, I won't back down from the challenge of assisting them in their escape from dependency. While I don't want to let their problem become mine, I also don't want to support their self-destruction.
I won't claim not to have any curiosity about the many things I haven't tried. Certain ones just don't seem worth the risk, to me, especially having learned a tiny bit about the psychology of addictions.
I also admit that what works for me wouldn't work for a lot of others (and vice versa). I choose not to barge into anyone's life and start trying to inspire changes that appear positive to me; I would appreciate it if others offered me the same respect.
That being said, I really do like the quote I read recently about the liver. "The liver is necessary for survival. Hence, the name."
No comments:
Post a Comment