My Nemesis

 Like all good superheroes, I had a villain. I had my nemesis. It was, and is, myself. The truth. C'mon, we all saw it coming. The truth sneaks up on you. Hiding in plain sight. Then, with it's hammer of reality, it smashes you between the eyes. 

The last time I drank was a normal day. I woke up, got online, began working. I muddled through the day. Lunch time came and it was nap time. I think, the details are bit groggy. At some point, sitting at my desk, I dozed off. 

That's when reality shouted down the hallway. "You're asleep!" Immediately I jumped to the defensive. "No I'm not!" The argument ensued. It's true, I'd fallen asleep at the wheel again. There's a theme here. My superpower makes me sleepy. This time there was no wheel, I was sitting at my desk in my office/bedroom snoring loudly at my keyboard. 

I sobered, calm had been restored and I'd finished the day of work. No one was the wiser. I'd been gaslighting reality for a while though. Anything to escape. It was decided we'd go to dinner. 

On the way to pick up the offspring, I'd taken my phone out of it's cradle on the dashboard while driving. It really doesn't matter why, I was in control, I have super peripheral vision, I could navigate the vehicle with ease and still manage my phone. Reality snapped again. "Put the phone down!" It was right. 

I should have cut my losses at that point but the argument began again. This time the offspring was brought in to be the party of reason. I was wrong, but I wasn't backing down. We went home, they went to dinner and I took an Uber to get my magic elixir.

I wish I could say this has a happy ending. It does kind of, but not like I'd hoped at the moment. 

The next day came and I was off to work my side hustle when a text changed my life. I'll sum it up. Get my shit together or find a new family. I have no desire to deal with a new family's shit. And then the universe sent me another sign. 

I'm a super Uber driver, somewhat of a Uber Uber if you will. I was literally out on an island reading this text. And I get a pick up for a guy, only going a couple blocks and it was a good money trip. I put the phone back in it's cradle and there, at 3pm in the afternoon I went to a bar on the island. 

I pulled up and after several minutes of waiting, a woman comes around the corner and up to my window. I roll it down and she asks. "Are you Uber for (let's say Bob, the name isn't important)?" I replied yes. She says that's great and scurries around the corner from where she emerged. 

Moments later, a bartender and the lady come out carrying a man who was clearly fighting gravity. Instantly I could tell he was drunk. 3pm in the afternoon and already sloshed. What a mess this guy was. 

They helped him into my car and through slurred speech, I could hear his excuses. It was their anniversary. Why would she let him get this drunk he'd ask? Why would the bartender let him get this drunk? Basically, it was everyone's fault but his own. The whole 2 blocks from the bar to the resort they were staying it, this nonsense continued. 

I needed this, I needed to see this. This man was much older than me but he'd become a burden. His wife, family, friends probably all knew he was killing himself. Thoughts swirled in my head. My perspective started to change.

I made the call, the call for help. 

So, almost 30 days in and this is where we are. The origin story and the end. Sure, there's a lot missing in the middle. I'll fill in the gaps eventually. This is a start though. Those are the days between. Right now, I'm just living this day. Not tomorrow, not the past. Just this day.