The Gang

A bucketful of crabs. One tries to leave. The rest drag it back down. I guess crabs like the company of other crabs. I walk through the door, hoping that ‘my spot’ is free. The long table, the one I never use because I can't 'plug-in', is full, as it typically is at this time of the morning. Crabs sit in every seat. Faces twisted and contorted by the ravages of wind, rain and sea. Eastern European methinks. United by coffee, nostalgia, and a healthy dose of 'Once Upon a Time.' Laughter. Seriousness. Presence. One of them breaks free for a smoke, and unlike the crabs in the bucket, one or two join him. The world is a whirlwind of road rage, yet inside this building, there is unity. Love. Camaraderie. The only blood comes from the beetroot hidden deep beneath layers of chicken, lettuce and tomatoes. There is not an alcoholic drink in sight. There is no need for a bouncer on this door. There is no list. You can all come in. Communion. And it’s not just the craggy old crabs. I look around and see people of all shapes and sizes debating the fashionable attributes of a Levi jacket, the best way to build a picket fence, and how to wean a baby from the breast. We think we need alcohol to socialise, and yet, everywhere you look, people are managing without it. There's not a shot in sight. It’s not the drug that creates the anticipatory delight of a night out. It’s the feeling of freedom, and the possibility of connection. Alcohol offers no freedom. Each drink disassociates you from the world. Blink. You're a zombie; wheelchair-carcass, phlegm hanging from the corner of your mouth like a stalactite; hypodermic needle sticking out of your arm trying desperately to find the floor. You don't need alcohol to have a good time. You only THINK you do. And it’s this lie, this con, this red herring that we talk about in today’s Alcohol & Addiction podcast. The Truth About Alcohol We Are Not Alcoholics, And we Refuse to be Anonymous Join Us & Our Community TTAA Taster: http://www.thetruthaboutalcohol.co.uk/p/TTAA%20Taster TTAA Intensive: https://www.thetruthaboutalcohol.co.uk/p/TTAAIntensive Strive Community: https://strive.thetruthaboutalcohol.co.uk/