Night life in the slums
Drinking alcohol can be such a major setback or colossal drawback on one’s life or it can be such an uplifting stepping stone to enjoyment or well-spiritedness, but how so? First of all alcohol on its own is not something bad, but it can be worse than the next devil when overused, abused or misused by man.
Many people around the world use it for occasional social or private purposes. It gives them what they want when they use it well and when they do not go to any extremes. It becomes a source of the bliss they long for in those specific moments but then simultaneously gives them not so blissful when the intoxication kind of becomes an extrapolation of what we have come to alcohol among the Zambian youth. Intoxicated youth, and even old people for that matter, roam our streets day in and day out, from dawn to dusk and further through endless nights. Mostly these people do not just use alcohol in a responsible well-mannered way. But in the usual case, they cause havocamongst themselves and around them, get involved in fights, end up behind bars or even worse, end up greeting death in the hand overnight.
But yet again, imagining what it is like, having a barbeque party behind the family crib and not having any assorted beers to go with it seems to cause and emptiness of happiness’ relentless hovering. It is not that alcohol is a MUST HAVE at these types of gatherings or at functions per se, one may say that it adds a flavor to the bonding that takes place at such social occasions. Even so, need to use alcohol properly and in proportion is and must always go with the party’s rules. Some people or some family members find it impossible to express themselves to others or even feel comfortable around people without a tot of whisky or a beer. Some people also say that it helps with digestion, like the Italians and some alcoholics, and some say that without drinking they cannot perform any given task including the most routine ones.
There is little chance that one might succeed in changing this predicament. Nevertheless, it is important that we all try. The problems that come with alcohol misuse or abuse are serious even when some people might think otherwise. Nonetheless, we shall need to tackle them as they affect all of us, whether we drink or we do not. But it is something that we can only succeed in doing together. The question is how can we work our way through this problem together as a family, community, town, and nation or as a human community? Anyway, it must start somewhere so how about starting with each one of us, as individuals?
Many people around the world use it for occasional social or private purposes. It gives them what they want when they use it well and when they do not go to any extremes. It becomes a source of the bliss they long for in those specific moments but then simultaneously gives them not so blissful when the intoxication kind of becomes an extrapolation of what we have come to alcohol among the Zambian youth. Intoxicated youth, and even old people for that matter, roam our streets day in and day out, from dawn to dusk and further through endless nights. Mostly these people do not just use alcohol in a responsible well-mannered way. But in the usual case, they cause havocamongst themselves and around them, get involved in fights, end up behind bars or even worse, end up greeting death in the hand overnight.
But yet again, imagining what it is like, having a barbeque party behind the family crib and not having any assorted beers to go with it seems to cause and emptiness of happiness’ relentless hovering. It is not that alcohol is a MUST HAVE at these types of gatherings or at functions per se, one may say that it adds a flavor to the bonding that takes place at such social occasions. Even so, need to use alcohol properly and in proportion is and must always go with the party’s rules. Some people or some family members find it impossible to express themselves to others or even feel comfortable around people without a tot of whisky or a beer. Some people also say that it helps with digestion, like the Italians and some alcoholics, and some say that without drinking they cannot perform any given task including the most routine ones.
There is little chance that one might succeed in changing this predicament. Nevertheless, it is important that we all try. The problems that come with alcohol misuse or abuse are serious even when some people might think otherwise. Nonetheless, we shall need to tackle them as they affect all of us, whether we drink or we do not. But it is something that we can only succeed in doing together. The question is how can we work our way through this problem together as a family, community, town, and nation or as a human community? Anyway, it must start somewhere so how about starting with each one of us, as individuals?