Beam Me Up

Actual person that I know.

Mike lives on my floor.

A few doors down.

Nicest, kindest, most honest guy you'll ever meet.

Parks his old Chevy Malibu crooked between the lines in the lot every day.

Hardcore alcoholic.

Die-hard Trekkie.

Been drinking so long that he has to keep drinking to avoid getting the shakes or having a seizure.

Each morning I hear him retching into his bucket.

Comes to visit me every night with a beer in his hand.

Asking me to put on Star Trek.

Says he's been watching it all his life.

Ever since he can remember.

Sitting in front of the T.V. as a kid in his Star Trek pajamas.

Says he was adopted.

Lost his fiance to cancer.

Abandonment issues I think.

I suggest that he go to city hall where he was born to find out about his biological parents.

"Maybe you can find them," I say.

"Get some closure."

"What for?!" he says in his stern, raspy voice.

I tell him that if he doesn't stop drinking he will get sick and die.

"So what?!" he says.

As tonight's episode is ending, "Live long and prosper," I pray.

 "Beam me up," I hear him say ...

Author's Note

"I would fain keep sober always; and there are infinite degrees of drunkenness." - Thoreau

Reviews

[Beccy]

Once the line is crossed, it is incredibly difficult to take that oh so necessary step back. Addiction to anything is an awful thing. Not only is it ruinous, but it is mostly seen as self inflicted injury and thus brings little sympathy in its wake.

I had a friend who was addicted to gambling. He lost everything, not once, but several times over. Five years ago he moved to Spain and despite trying to contact him via email and text, we have sort of lost touch. I hope he is well, but in my heart I can hear him saying 'so what,' just as your friend has.

A moving poem.

Beccy.m

[Pete]

thank you for your understanding beccy. i am in complete agreement with your observations. we have compassion and are their friend but only they can fix themselves. sadly, he even tells me this himself ... :)