Wednesday, 2 October 2013

Addicted To Life



We are fortunate/unfortunate (depends on how you see things) to be part of a generation where we have access to excess, little or no hindrances, mostly financially stable even with all the problems with the economy... or are we just down-right irresponsible and oblivious to the events that threaten our future?

With all the presumed carelessness, we are still creatures that will strive to survive and the breaking point usually brings about a certain realization... Mortality. 

We can be addicted to drugs, sex, alcohol and all what not... but the one thing everyone is addicted to is life... the idea of living... the opportunity to learn from mistakes... right wrongs etc... staying alive or self preservation has to be the ultimate addiction. 

We all have our experiences and i decided to collect a few from friends, see if i can start a series of sorts... 

Enjoy...

My name is Charles and I am addicted to life. I woke up that faithful morning, refreshed from a good night’s sleep without the cast on my leg. I was elated to have my ankle healed and even happier that I was back working out. The state of my body has always been of interest to me and as a result I strive to maintain an appearance of athleticism. I pick out my trusty beach shorts and donned a shirt made out of a fine Italian cotton, light and airy to give an onlooker the idea that I reside on an African Riviera.
The plan was to be picked up by my best friend’s younger brother because we were passengers on the family boat. I had been waiting for this day for weeks. The women, the alcohol, the sun, the pool, the food, all these things seemed to cause me to salivate at the thought of all the debauchery that would take place as I arrived closer to the 28th anniversary of being alive.

Once we docked at the beach house I went straight into the pool to wash the sand off me from the ATV journey there and to give the girls already in attendance a sneak preview of the body I had been building in the gym since my leg came out of the cast. I strolled over to the cooler and picked up a bottle of Belvedere and an almost nearly frozen bottle of Moet. Oh and if you’re wondering, it was rose, this is the Riviera, I couldn’t let my geographical location down. After distributing drinks to my sister and her friends plus a bunch of other party-goers who had convened at the table where I was sat I proceeded to mix my own potion for the day.
"3 parts of vodka,
2 parts of champagne
a splash of 
bitter lemon"

3 parts of vodka, 2 parts of champagne, a splash of bitter lemon. This was what I had planned to drink all day. I had done much worse than this before as normally I would take out the lemon and add two shots of Jagermeister to the mix. So I felt I was being responsible by starting the day slowly. 

After about 8 of these drinks I noticed my balance was suffering and I couldn’t keep my legs from slipping under me. This is where my memory starts to fade but fortunately enough my actions were viewed by all the guests at the party like a circus performer at the palace of a king. The next memory I have is being hoisted onto the ATV and the strong stench of body odour emanating from the person holding me up. Next was the tortuous boat ride back to civilisation that left me feeling like a freshly blended frozen Margherita. After those glimmers of memory the last and final thing I remembered was being held up by the driver and one of my mother’s tailors in a cold shower to sober me out of my drunken stupor, muttering the words, 

" “I’m sorry mummy, 
I’m so sorry” 
over and over again"

“I’m sorry mummy, I’m so sorry” over and over again. The aftermath of this day out resulted in a 5 week long hangover for some who had never suffered for more that 2 hrs. I lost body weight drastically because I couldn’t eat solids. My skin lost its lustre and my hair refused to grow. This whole event marked the end of my drinking days. Today I am one year and 2 months sober and still going strong. I am a better person for it, mentally and physically. My advice to all is when you stop having fun with it, you need to stop. The experience marked a decade in my years as a solid drinker. 10 years of systematic and calculated abuse of alcohol and my body decided it had taken on enough for a whole lifetime. 

So, my name is Charles and I’m addicted to life. I want to live a glorious one in fantastic health. 

Guest post by @3hvndred

The Weeknd - Live for (ft Drake)