
On the 29th April last I wrote about Mike (not his real Name) in a post entitled “What would you do?” While I was sitting at the sea front reading my newspaper who should come along again but Mike. Looking the worse for wear after a few days on the drink. He stopped and we chatted for sometime. Just general conversation about the weather, boxing and County Monaghan where Mike has family. He had a very bad cut across his lower lip which looked pretty bad. I was used to seen Mike with cuts and bruises as he would fall over while drunk or get into situations where others might pick on him and hit him. But this looked a very serious cut, when I am asked what had happened and had he gone for treatment in Hospital. Mike said that he attended hospital and had received treatment and some medication to take. With that he produced two containers full of tables which I thought to myself these will not go well with alcohol if he takes too many at once?
Mike told me that a good friend of his had slashed his lip with a knife because he was chatting to this person’s wife and they got jealous. In his next sentence Mike said “you think he would have had the decency to sterilise the knife first” to which we both just laughed.
We discussed for a short while longer about would he consider giving up the drink altogether, Mike said he enjoyed it too much to stop. I said what about thinking that you might live a little longer. Mike said that he felt he would like to enjoy life and have a short one. Well it is Mike’s life and he is living it now the way he feels best. Not that I would agree but who am I to judge? You have to respect his honesty, he could have said yes maybe next week I will give it up but for him why lie.
If we are not honest with ourselves who can you be honest with in life?