I often tend to get into brief (but somehow quite stimulating) arguments with people on the topic of alcohol consumption. The arguments are not very intense, and usually involve me explaining to people why I don't indulge in "drinking"... I decided to share this with you as well...feel free to let me know what you think!
I am not against drinking (although I take a strong objection to alcoholism and its related horrors) and I don't believe that the (so called) social-drinker is a bad person. What I most frequently have to talk about is why I personally avoid alcoholic beverages and refuse to accompany even good friends while they enjoy a peg or two.
My basic rationale is this... the various types alcohol (also nicotine and drugs) are substances that are ingested to alter one's consciousness. When consumed they make one feel lighter, more relaxed, altogether merrier (apparently there are other less mentionable effects as well, but nevermind those for now!) etc. So, they're usually the beverage of choice when people want to unwind and get rid of the stress and strain of work and a hundred other little things. Many people I know like to share a few drinks with some friends and spend some time enjoying the "high" that they get as a result. The "high" is the altered state of consciousness, reportedly very pleasant at the time but also the predecessor of a subsequent 'hangover' in most cases! :) While it lasts, people feel great...they can converse and share their thoughts easily, feel more comfortable letting their hair down etc. The reasons for which the prospect of this 'high' don't appeal to me are (a) I have to drink something that tastes ridiculously vile in order to achieve it (b) it's not something that I can't obtain through other 'no-need-to-swallow' means (c) I don't want any substance altering my consciousness, for better or for worse and (d) whatever "high" the drink is supposed to provide for me, I already possess in a more sophisticated, long-lasting and 'side-effect-free' form, as I will just explain!
To be conscious is a gift that must be nurtured from within. Happiness can only last if it's source is inside a person...anything joy that is rooted in externalities is bound to end, no matter how intense it is. How flippant and flitting is the happiness or the feeling of lightness that can come from just a glass-full of drink or a few puffs of smoke! It is a pallid and watery substitute for magnitude of the same feelings when they are generated from the divinity that is in us all. I have a friend who puts it very well, when she exclaims "I'm high on life!!!" I just love that line, because it sums up in four little words, an entire philosophy that she exemplifies. This friend of mine is the very picture of happiness and contentment. She can spread good cheer wherever she goes...fifteen minutes in her presence and people start feeling more at ease, communicate with steadily diminishing restraint and enjoy themselves thoroughly, regardless of whether or not there are drinks to be had. While she is special to me, I am certain that she is not the only person with this ability. She is just someone who has come to understand that nothing from the outside world can make her happy if she cannot draw happiness out of her own personal/internal world.
When I'm with a good friend, I'm entirely engrossed in how happy it makes me feel just to be with him or her. His/her presence and company is all that I'm interested in...his/her affection and involvement in my life is what I cherish. Each second of happiness that comes from our interaction feels more real and last infinitely longer (even when it is a memory to be retrieved later) that any drink possibly could. So, I absolutely refuse to let anything as meagre as a drink come in the way of that feeling...I mean, what on earth do I need that for? I can be high on friendship! :)
Besides my family and friends, I think that life is full of things that make you feel better than the most sophisticated alcohol ever could...music is one of them. My heart goes out to the musician who needs to down a few pegs or smoke-up before a performance. He/she has simply not been able to gain a true picture of what music is all about. Good music is the ultimate high...if you understand it well and can immerse yourself in it, music elevates your consciousness more than the finest of drinks ever could.
So, to sum it up, good friends, good music, good food, good conversation...these are the things I need to get "high", no intoxicant is ever going to come even near the sheer delight that I get from these things, which, with God's grace, are abundantly available in my life (my mother will be quick to point out at this point that I tend to overdo my 'high' when it comes to the food part! lol). :)
"Cheers!"
1 comment:
Ouch...a drink or two never hurt anyone, actually the doc advises it.
So, you don't drink, and rather get high on other things, such as friends and music. I wreckon that's not wrong, but a high on friends can give you the worst hangover ever!!!!, like when the friendship hits turbulence.
The music aspect...I totally know what you mean and it was best described by Bob Marley in one of his sonds. He said, "One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain."
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