Thick As Thieves

THICK AS THIEVES

 

 

 

Sitting in a Liverpool pub

Inhaling the scent of ale, sweat, and grannie’s backrub

 

  

Tedious conversation about the weather

And “how’s yer bird, she feeling any better?”

 

  

Tonight, off come the gloves

Twin girls cry out: “Give us another cider, love!”

 

  

Pornographic priestess slurring a Beatles’ song:

“Love Me Do” though the tune’s all wrong;

 

 

Sister Mary’s chanting Hare Krishna;

A shout rises out above the crowd: “Oi, Mista!”

 

  

Mum wags a drunken finger all askew;

And hollers out: “Still thick as thieves those two!”

 

 

I raise aloft my pint of brew

And offer up a hearty “Goo Goo Ga-Choo!”

Safer at war?

Canadians killed in Afghanistan: 131 in 8 years.

 

People in the province of Ontario killed in industrial accidents in 2008: 312.

 

That is a sobering thought when you consider that a worker in Ontario is far more likely to die at work than a Canadian soldier who is working in a war zone!

Becoming An Addict

“Today I will go out and buy a video game system so I can become a video game addict.”

“I want to be an alcoholic, so I will start drinking today.”

“I am going to accept this job so I can become a workaholic.”

　

　

No matter what the addiction, no one intentionally decides to become an addict. The pattern always starts innocently enough: “ok, I will try this…” “ok, I will buy this…” “Ok, I will attempt this…”

At first it is fun, fulfilling, even exhilarating. It is the “buzz” of the alcohol; the “high” of the drug; the thrill of finding something you have searched for; the sense of accomplishment of the first victory; the feeling of acceptance by being part of the group.

Soon the buzz, the high, the thrill wears off. You try it again, but it isn’t quite the same as the first time so you go a little further until you feel it again. Or you’ve mastered the task at hand so that it now becomes routine, and you want to push on to the next level.

The sense of achievement, of reaching higher, of going “to the next level” is a normal part of human nature. It is what breeds invention and improvement. Most people go through the stages mentioned above and manage to have fun, develop, and grow without becoming addicted to what they are doing.

For others, the “need to succeed” is a greater drive. They have to be #1 at whatever they are doing. They feel that if they don’t stay and do the work themselves, either it won’t get done right, or even worse a colleague may do it and get the credit. They need to have a more expensive and rare baseball card. They have to win the gold medal because silver is for losers. They want to show that they can handle more alcohol than the others.

Others find a comfort in shopping and spending; by chasing the blues away by drowning their sorrows; by escaping to alternate reality to cope with everyday living. Most people do these things in moderation – how many shopping malls offer stores, restaurants/bars and movie theatres in the same location to fulfil our cravings?

For the addict, these are all factors that lead them into the addiction. It is a sense of self-worth and accomplishment in a world that seems to be filled with people who are better than they are themselves. It is an escape from a world that seems to be against them; the only joy and comfort they can find. The more they become fixated on these feelings, the more their whole sense of being becomes completely reliant upon the object of their addiction.

In the next segment, I wish to delve into how an addict thinks; how they see the world around them.

Addictions

Why is it that some people can walk into a casino, spend a few dollars, have a good time, and leave happily while others scheme at systems to beat the odds, sit at tables or machines for hours while wearing adult diapers so they won’t have to leave to use the toilet, and walk out despondent if they haven’t won more than what they spent?

Why is it that some people can sit and have a social drink of alcohol over dinner, while others refuse to visit someone’s home because no alcohol will be served?

Why is it that some people try smoking and do it for awhile, and then quit, while others won’t even attempt to quit, or if they try, they are unsuccessful?

Why is it that some people excel at the sport they play, while others adopt a “win-at-all-costs” attitude?

To put it quite simply, some people cross the line between passion/enjoyment and addiction/obsession.

Many times when we hear that someone is an “addict” we form a mental image of how a person looks, and the level of society they live in. But this is inaccurate, because our understanding of what an addiction is and who can be affected by addiction is built on incomplete information.

Usually we think of “addiction” meaning substance abuse such as drugs or alcohol. Another addiction that has risen to prominence over the past few years is video game addiction. To be fair to the “gamer addicts”, before video games came along the focus was on the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game addiction.

　

Who can be an addict? Anybody. You. Me. Anybody. “Who, me?! No, not me!”, you are thinking.

Addiction: to be devoted to, or surrender oneself to something habitually or obsessively.

Addictions are not limited to substance abuse or video games. Here are a few more examples that affect people of all walks of life. Remember, these are referring to the people who do not do it for a hobby or fun or growth, but who do it excessively and compulsively:

 

- Email, online social sites, and other forms of technological communication. Consider the driver who feels it is more important to send that text message NOW in the middle of traffic instead of waiting until they can pull off the road safely or reach their destination before sending the text message.

 

- Overeating. Obesity is a serious problem in most “western” countries.

 

- Sex, whether pornography, sex tourism, or simply going out to “try to score”.

 

- Gambling – casinos, lotteries, office pools, online sites, poker games, etc.

 

- Work. Yes, believe it or not, work is an addiction for some people! The “workaholic” who is so devoted to their job that even at home or on vacation they have to keep in touch constantly with work “just in case”.

 

- Religion. The “devout” or “extremist”, depending upon your viewpoint.

 

- Collectors. Hockey cards, baseball cards, automobiles, memorabilia, plush toys, etc.

 

- Exercise. Those who spend all their free time doing little more than exercise.

 

- Entertainment.

 

- Clothing. Who needs 700 pairs of shoes? Seriously!

 

　

In future blogs I wish to elaborate more about addicts: who they are and what they are thinking, as well as to give advice on how to cope with an addict whether they are family, friend, neighbour, or co-worker. An addict does not just hurt themselves; they do a tremendous amount of injury to all those around them. But unfortunately, they don’t see it that way. And all-too-often the injured don’t know how to reach an addict “where they live” to try to help them out of it.

　

　

　

　

　

Beatles!

 

After a summer spent living in Liverpool, I swore I would never intentionally listen to the Beatles again!  The Beatles were seemingly everywhere in the city. Mind you, when taking a bus and noticing that I was on “Penny Lane” was pretty cool, as was being informed that the art college I was walking around in was the same one Paul McCartney and John Lennon had once attended. But the unending T-shirts, postcards, toys, etc for sale everywhere I went, accompanied by the same 10 Beatles songs in the shops that were selling the Beatles memorabilia put me off hearing them for years! (Except the song “Back In The USSR” which has always been in my personal Top 10 favourites).

But now today I find myself excited for the re-release of all their albums onto CD, all digitally-remastered, with new liner notes, plus a documentary video for PC use! Right after work I headed out and bought “Please Please Me”, the first album the Beatles released.  Of the 14 songs on it, I only recognized 5 of them! Amazingly enough, the original album was recorded in 10 hours, and finshed with editing after 25 hours!

Popping the CD into the car stereo, I turned up the volume and when the first track “I Saw Her Standing There” came on, I was shocked at the clarity of the sound. It is far better than the CD’s released a number of years ago. Now I can hardly wait to start adding the entire Beatles catalogue to my collection!

Asthma, Depression, and Spicy Rib Soup

So here I sit, having a bowl of “Spicy Hot Pork Rib Flavour” noodle soup from China, washing it down with a bottle of Ochakavo beer from Russia, and listening to some Punjabi bhangra music by sisters Mallika & Jyoti.

The soup is definitely a bit spicy and actually not too bad considering I don’t like pork very much – don’t ask what made me buy the soup in the first place! The beer is not my #1 choice. It has a strange aftertaste of yeast, similar to eating bread dough before it is baked. Baltika is a better Russian beer. The music is great – M&J sing so well that they sound like one voice throughout.

Asthma, the bane of my existence, returns once again. I usually get a reprieve from June through September, as the heat does not affect my breathing in a negative way. But the past few nights have been downright chilly ( only 5 C last night), and the cold air is triggering attacks again. Normally they occur around 3 am, so I never get a full rest anymore since I have to get up at 5:30 am.

The doctor gave me a medication which works really well to control the asthma, so I have started taking it again. Within 72 hours the attacks should be less frequent overnight. The only drawback to the medication is that it affects me negatively by sending me into a deep depression. On the other hand, if I do not take the medication then I will get by on 3-4 hours of sleep per day, and will also sink into depression due to sheer exhaustion.

I wish I could somehow get by without the medication but still not suffer the attacks. Over the past few years I have tried various chemical medications, and also tried various natural alternates recommended by naturopaths, Chinese herbalists, and even some natural medicine sent to me from someone in Cambodia. So far only two have worked – the chemical I now use, and the natural one from Cambodia. In both cases, the side effect is severe depression.

It is going to be a long winter if the asthma is starting already in late August!!

　

Trust

“A trust is easy to make, and easier to break.

Keeping it – now that is the difficult part.”

- from the Indian movie “Mann”

A Swim In The North Sea?

Foggy:  I don’t know what you’re making all the fuss about. In any regime of physical fitness a dip in the early morning is perfectly routine.

Clegg:  In the North Sea?!

Foggy:  You know that people swim in the North Sea.

Clegg:  Only if they fall off a boat!

　

-from “Cheering Up Gordon” episode of Last of the Summer Wine

Only Six Feet, Mr. Tolstoy?

“A man needs only seven feet of Earth.

 

“No, it’s a corpse that needs seven feet, not a man. A man needs the whole world.”

 

  - Anton Chekhov, from Notebooks: First Notebook.

　

I first read Tolstoy’s “How Much Land Does A Man Need” around the age of 20. I had been quite impressed with his conclusion that a person only really needs six or seven feet of land, because after all is said and done all paths in life lead to death, so why amass land and possessions that you cannot take with you? I had the same anti-materialist worldview that Tolstoy had arrived at late in his life.

 

But as I grew older, I came to realize that life is not simply a long preparation for death. Living involves stimulation – stimulation of the senses, stimulation of the intellect. I am now at a point of agreeing with Chekhov’s observation that a person needs the whole world. Not to own it or possess it in a literal sense as some have attempted throughout history, but rather to own or possess it in a way that is internal and personal.

 

I have had the opportunity to travel to various parts of the world. In most cases I was able to find accommodation in homes with people, or at least a bed and breakfast. In Cuba it was not possible to do so, so I stayed in a hotel that Cubans stayed in, rather than a tourist resort. And for one summer I had my own flat in England.

 

In each place I visited, I brought back at least one souvenir as a reminder. But more importantly, from each place I brought back a piece of the culture that has become part of my lifestyle here in Canada. I have learned some amazing lessons on everyday living in every country I have ever visited – things that are part of who I am day-to-day.

 

And it is not only overseas travel that has afforded me that option. Toronto is an amazingly diverse city where you can be immersed in foreign culture without leaving Canada. There are places to go that are predominantly Chinese; Vietnamese; Filipino; Russian; Polish; Italian; Greek; Portuguese & Brazilian; Latin American/Spanish; Iranian & Afghan; Indian.

 

Admittedly, there are some cultures that I prefer over others. But each has its own unique style and flair that stimulates the senses and the intellect that makes life more enjoyable and deeper/richer in experience.

 

Yes, Mr. Tolstoy, someday I will only need that six or seven feet. (Unless I am cremated, in which case I will need far less space!) But until that time, like Mr. Chekhov says, I need the whole world to live life to the fullest!

　

　

 

　

How Much Land Does A Man Need?

“His servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Prahom to lie in, and buried him it. Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed.”

 

- Leo Tolstoy, “How Much Land Does A Man Need?”

 

Poor Prahom! He had been promised all the land that his feet could carry him around in a day. The only condition: he had to return to the same spot from whence he started on the same day. Any land within a boundary that he marked out would be his! But Prahom over-extended himself, and as he reached the point from whence he started, he collapsed and died. A grave was all the land he inherited.

　

What do you think of Prahom?

 

Do you agree with Tolstoy’s conclusion? Is six feet all the land a person needs?