ADDICTED

When I was growing up my parents and literally everyone told me that drugs were evil, disgusting and a death wish. Those who were seen or even suspected to be using were abandoned like a leper by the community. Drugs looked like a huge sin: an unforgivable one to say.

I am grown now and everywhere I look; I see drugs. I see smoke billowing in the air, I am too afraid but then curious, so I decide to waft a little; it smells funny! I see bottles of beer, wines and spirits everywhere, I am afraid again but still ready to risk dying like the proverbial cat, so I take a sip, oh my guy the feeling, mmh!

But then a question pops up in my brain: what is a drug?

We all want to be happy; we want to forget all our problems and just be in that state between life or rather consciousness and death. The state where we are alive but are care-free, nothing to worry about, happy I’d say. To me I’d say that that defines a drug.

Now I want you to think about that one thing that makes you feel like so…bet you’ve already figured that out by now. That’s your drug! So basically, we’re all addicts, we get high sometimes, we get drunk like all the time. How do you feel?

What is your drug?

Is music your drug?

Oh, my goodness I’d say everyone will choose this because gosh music, music! Are you a Sauti Sol fan? Nyash? J Cole? Dax? Juice World? Burna Boy? Billie Ellish? Name them you have your reasons… or are you an orchestra guy. You just love listening to the instruments do their magic.

A friend once said that music speaks to you when there is no one else to do so. You feel understood, you feel loved, you feel happy, calm, you can’t avoid that smile that snakes from the edge of your lips. Can anyone make you feel like so? No, so music is your option. Nowadays no one lacks a headset, if you lack one then you must be having a very big problem, or your pockets just can’t do it✔(inverted). Every campus room must have ze Bluetooth dewice connected successfully. I pity our ears.

I took a trip to some comment section of a certain YouTube mix and found thousands of those, ‘’It’s funny how strangers understand me more than my friends‘’, ‘’I listen to this song every evening before I sleep‘’ or “So relatable”. Music is just so amazing!

Movies, series? Is this your drug?

We all fall for that movie character. That one character, you know them, right? Most of you want to become vampires because of one Klaus Mikaelson: go look for Originals if you’re floating. I see him in your status updates every day. This looks like a good place to say if wishes were horses… Hey ladies, I know I got you here, that’s your drug!

Or are you a Tommy Shelby fan? You like him by order of the Peaky fooking Blinders! I must say this guy has got all the boys smoking and being badass. Suddenly, we all don’t care, we become so over-charismatic. If we all had money we’ll be in that coat and cap. Boys, here is our drug.

For those who love comedy we should meet later in some café and just laugh our ribs tired. Mara The Office, mara F.R.I.E.N.D.S: funny people indeed. You are very special people; I cannot describe you but that’s your drug.

Football? Oh my, tell me.

Fifaaa! Oh my boys, can a day pass without me proving my fifa prowess to you? We always say that those that boast too much actually know nothing. Lethal are they that hold their peace. Don’t go there with no skills because you’ll leave with empty pockets (loser pay).

Whenever we hear the uefa song everything comes to a standstill. Who will win the champions league? Will Ole Gunnar win his first cup? The adrenaline, the man the myth the legend, the magnificence, emphatic goals. Messi or Ronaldo?

Astonishing how much of tacticians we are at fpl but cannot brandish tactics when writing an exam or participating in class. Anyway, y’all performing well these days.

Social media?

Welcome to my YouTube channel! We couldn’t breathe back in 2020. If you’re still a youtuber in 2021 you are real. When you feel low, you just sit in front of a camera and speak all you want and that heals you. Or you record a conversation for your podcast. Instagram people!!! Dripping makes you feel whole right?

I’ll not forget tiktokers, oh my! These guys have the resilience of a nursing mom. I must say tiktok is a real drug for some of you. How do you feel after doing all the kurukushukarakashaz there? You must be feeling amazing I know. 

Is it photography?

The men behind the lenses, I salute you. Very humble people, don’t talk too much, but then their world has been polluted by all and sundry.

The people always chasing the sunset every evening, or the ones with the discipline to time the sunrise. The ones with the hollow hopes of capturing the moon with their phone cameras I salute you. I always see the peace in you after the disappointment which is so ironic. The ones with the keen eye to capture that beautiful butterfly feeding on nectar from a glorious flower. What a drug!

Where are the lovers of art?

Every time we opened and closed school I used to admire the pieces of art along Ngong Road while stuck in traffic. I have friends who are just so marvelous at their craft. They are addicted I can say. The paint and brushes do some magic on canvas, the beads carefully aligned make a good pattern, you can even cry on sight. The precision you employ is priceless. Artists, your addiction is just so marvelous.

And for the collectors of art. I was told that this is a hobby for the rich, high and mighty but who said I’m not. It’s all in the mind. Let’s get obsessed with filling our houses with all sorts of art ladies and gentlemen!

Pet addict?

We will argue here for hours on end about cats and dogs. Though I see cat people to be more addicted to their better halves. I’ve literally had to follow several insta cat accounts to please my friends. They never miss a good picture with their cats. I won’t deny that they look good together, but I love dogs more.

Reading novels?

My fellow readers. You literally spend your whole day on wattpad or lightreader binging on thousands of novel pages. I find this so hard though it seems like a true drug for those who enjoy it. I think it makes them hallucinate. The stories take them to some world only they can really explain in detail.

My favorite human being tells me that a novel captures all the details making it so real and entertaining. I’m yet to grapple with this. 

Dancing?

We all dance, in the kitchen washing dishes while listening to that fire music, in the bathroom though cautiously, in the living room when we’re all alone in the house, in our hearts when you’re in a meeting then some music from outside starts.

As I walk in our estate, I cannot fail to see that group of pros dancing to some nice beats: I would call this choreography because it is really choreographed. The break dances, the afro moves, odi dances, salsa dances, I love watching them! I think watching such is also a worthy drug because I usually pull over just to see them.

Do you overthink?

My fellow overthinkers. You can literally pull a rocking chair with some nice drink or popcorn just to overthink issues. You drown yourselves in a vicious circle of infinite thoughts. Funny thing is that you end up not coming up with something tangible that can win you a Nobel Peace Prize.

Some of you call it critical thinking; well, enjoy your time folks!

By now I know you’ve already discovered your drug. Most of you have more than one. You should probably go for detox!

We are all addicted! Prisoners of our own desires. I am yet to see anyone free from this captivity. Is it worth? Do you find solace at the end of the day? Do you get periodic salvation or is it eternal? Is it easier to forget your problems or to face them head on: taking the bull by its horns? Do you for a moment see yourself in prison? Will you indulge in it only to later realize that you need rehab then spend your resources on something you could have prevented?

I also don’t have answers. Let’s just live, right? Who cares?

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