the Addict

There is a certain type of person that has relegated themselves to put their nose to the grindstone.  There is an addictive personality that goes with weathering a place of eternal economic depression and debilitating weather.  This person has to be the addict.  It does not matter what they are addicted to and breaking the addictive behavior is one of the most difficult things to do.  Be it shopping, drugs, sex, food, social media or gambling, the addictions take root to make up for the dismal atmosphere and prospects of life.  Can we live without our ghettos or 'hoods'?  Can we live without our "boogin alleys"?  It is a fair question.  Can we be happy unless someone else is below us in status?  There is a huge superiority complex that happens in such a competitive-over-nothing atmosphere.  I've seen a fair amount of competition over the pettiest of things.  It all stems from unhappy people.  People would create a competition out of breathing if there was nothing else to have a contest over.  Breaking the habit.  Tossing out the cigarettes and alcohol.  Getting rid of the drugs.  Stop shopping til you drop.  Stop throwing money out the window or into the lottery.  Stop sleeping with whoever comes your way.  Stop eating til you are gorged each day.  Stop posting or tweeting or stalking people on social media.  These things get in the way.  If the neutron bomb actually went off and all technology was rendered unusable, what would people do?  Would they bother to learn survival skills?  Or are we too spoiled to come back from the brink?  Are we too addicted to learn?  We don't need as much food as we think we do.  We don't need pointless social interactions but we need to truly enjoy the ones we do have.  We don't need a myriad of lovers but we do need love.  We don't need substances to get through the day.  Maybe we can go without all the Hollywood diets, too.  Even eating healthy and working out can become an addiction.  Even work.  The addictive personality is to take something to an unreasonable level or let something rule our life.  As for me, I just want solitude and time to myself.  That is in short supply these days.