Independence Day
VIEWPOINT
By RALPH HARDIN
Evening Times Editor
I hope vveryone had a fun and safe Fouth of July. We were pretty low key this year, since it was the first time in a long, long time that we didn’t have any kids to shoot fireworks with.
We went to a pool party with some friends and then went back to the house, where I watched the 1994 movie “Independence Day.” You know, the one with Mill Smith and the aliens.
So, now it’s the Fifth of July (Cinco de Julio?), and now what?
Not a remarkable day for most folks. It does happen to be my Mom’s birthday, so Happy birthday, Mom! But it’s probably not your Mom’s birthday or anything special, so other than trying to stay cool and comfy, what else is there to do?
Well, getting back to the movie, there’s a character in “Independence Day” played by Randy Quaid who is an alcoholic. As I was watching, for whatever reason, I got to thinking about
See VIEWPOINT, page A5 VIEWPOINT
From page A4
how addictions like alcohol, drugs (illegal and prescription), gambling, pronography, and even food can trap us.
I tried a few recreational drugs back in my younger days. It wasn’t really my scene. And I never snorted or injected anything because I was frankly too scared — scared I might die but just as scared I might like it. I’ve eaten enough Chip’s Ahoy cookies and collected enough comic books to know that I have the cpacity for great obsession. That’s also why if I gamble, it’s only a small amount with small stakes. If I were to ever win big, I’d blow it all chasing that high, and if I ever lost big, I’d go broke trying to make it up.
Getting addicted is a slippery slope. I mean, I can say with some confidence that no one sets out to intentionally become addicted to heroin. A few times, I have been prescribed pain medication that I was pretty sad to run out of, so I get it.
So, what do we need to declare our independence from these days? Social media, probably. As much as I enjoy easy access to so much information, it’s definitely become a major obsession for people, just “doom scrolling” for hours and hours.
Outrage? We’re definitely addicted to being offended by everything. Maybe it’s time to unplug? Maybe it’s time to break free of all the negativity in the world and chill a while.
