I have been struggling lately to write anything for Sober Paddy. There is no electric prose blasting from the page. I am a field mouse hiding in a field of burnt corn on the cob. I am the head of a hiding turtle when the sharks are shooming by. I am a Donegal forward, trapped by the masochistic restrictions of a system that works insofar as it stops others from working. I am Prometheus with the rain pishing down on him in Connemara with no flint, no matches and not even a glint in my eye. I am a forty something woman messed up with years of IV treatment and not a kid to be seen. I am an alcoholic whose head is being turned by the saucy satin panties worn by the svelte bottle of Pinot Noir in the kitchen.
Sober Paddy
Winter Wine Tasting and Wejuvenation
I do a little bit of a waffly blog about wine tasting and rejuvenation. I splutter a few times and it’s almost worth the watch just to hear the drivel dribble out!
Looting, Larger and the Leftovers
Here’s a video where I am talking about the distractions which are in place to take our attention away from the way our society is run – if you have the time check out www.infowars.com and www.thedailybell.com
The Butterfly Effect
Everybody needs a “leg up” from time to time. Of course the “leg up” is not to be confused with the “leg over”, but we all need that too! A “leg up” means to help someone to be more successful. It is a simple, concise image and it evokes a quick, physical remedy. It means that you go out of your way to try to improve another persons’ life. It could be the smallest of gestures or the writing of a fat hefty check, but the result is the same – you improve someone else’s existence. The result of your actions is a better world for someone else. Whether you like it or not, at some stage in life you will be called on to give someone a “leg up”. You may not be fully aware of it at the time, but there will be moments when you could make a tiny bit of extra effort and help someone change their mind, which in turn helps them make a better decision in trying times. Although we are not conscious of the chain of events which follow our actions, at some point we must accept that what we say and do can have a positive or negative effect on someone. Do you want to be responsible for giving someone a “leg up” or a kick in the arse?
The Oh So Sober Bar Manager
What is being a sober bar manager like? And by being sober I mean a recovering alcoholic. I suppose in one way it is like having a junkie working in a methadone clinic – Or having a contestant from “The Biggest Loser” working away in a Belgian chocolate factory. You are surrounded by temptation. You are surrounded by the very stuff which is normally your downfall. There are pretty much two things which can happen. The first is that you can give in. You sneak a box of truffles into your bag and nip off to the store room for some manic sugar indulgence where you are bound to be found hours later sobbing in your sleep, with chocolate smeared all over your face and hands…. with your belt unbuckled and splodges of nougat and praline splattered all over the walls. Or you stay behind after the bar shift ends and slowly sip a cold beer to shake off the arduous nature of the bar shift. Then you crack another and another. Before you know it you have the Karaoke machine blaring and are semi naked, drinking lemon flavoured dark rum mojito’s, singing some Brian Adams number as the sun comes up and the cleaners poke their non English speaking heads in the door.