THE FOLLOWING IS A SIMPLE GUIDE to help mentally set yourself up for success during the holiday season and the New Year. (The following should, at very least, ease the pain of the mundane work week.)
This Corporate Hell Job combined with the bus rides, and the ferry commute, all beat me down like a fight with Mike Tyson in his heyday. There’s some evenings after the ferry commute from Seattle to Bremerton I just can’t muster up the courage to ride the 15 minute bus ride to my apartment in ‘Upper Manette.’
So some work nights I walk right past my bus, and I head straight to the dive bar for happy hour. I can’t afford to drink on the ferry boat, so I have to tuff it out until I get back to Bremerton.
Once I have my emotional support cocktail in hand I can take a deep breath and relax my forehead. Today for instance the song Hotel California by the Eagles plays on the jukebox, and it sucks. It’s not nearly as sucky as my job and commute, though. I should probably put that into perspective, but for now I will just order another drink, and hum along to the Eagles.
Now that I have spent my bus money on a couple emotional support drinks, it’s time to take the walk home. The walk is probably about a mile-and-a-half-walk. Or two 22 ounce beers, however you choose to look at that. Most times this is my only ‘Me Time.’ Most times the walk home is the best time of my day.
Here is the method to this Me Time Madness, for me:
First, and foremost, never stay at the bar for more than three drinks. Even three is one too many. You can get by with minimal human contact by simply having a two drink maximum. Now days with politics, sports, and covid on the tips of most peoples tongues, keeping human contact to a minimum is of the utmost importance. When having just one drink you can slam it back and walk out of the bar like you’re in the middle of something important. If you stick around for two you can slam the first drink, then hold your hand up in a “talk to the hand” position blocking any human contact. Then slam back the second drink even faster, and high tail it outta there.
More than three drinks will most likely turn into four, five, seven, eight, ten. Then before you know it… the bartender shouts “Last Call!” And let’s be clear here: ‘Last Call’ on a work night is definitely not the key to success.
After exiting the bar, I look in the store windows as I stroll through downtown. Most downtown main streets you might do what they call ‘window shopping.’ Here in downtown Bremerton, one can get mystified at the randomness, and pretty much nothing of importance, you see in most windows. I walk through downtown Bremerton often thinking they might wanna hire a designer for these storefronts. It’s Christmas for Christ sake, do something!
Once I get through town and near the theatre, I start taking side streets. At this point, I take my life into my own hands, and go to 7-11 on Sixth Street. I get a 22 ounce beer in a brown paper bag. This will get me to the other side of the bridge. I will finish said beer by the end of the bridge, then dump my empty time in the trash can supplied to you by the City Of Bremerton. I continue my walk across the bridge to the convenience store on the other side.
If you frequent the Lower Manette neighborhood, you know the convenience store I’m referring to. The convenience store that has old, out-dated products on the shelves, and has new, different prices one day to the next on cigarettes, liquor, and beer. Once I reach the lower Manette neighborhood I get one last emotional support beer in a brown paper bag for my final walk home.
(This next part here is my favorite part of the walk.) I dip into the weed store, buy a five dollar joint to compliment my 22oz beer in a bag that I have stashed in my jacket pocket. I walk uphill through this quiet little Manette neighborhood smoking a joint, sipping a cold beer, not thinking at all about my commute tomorrow morning, or my big city Corporate Hell day job that I completely despise at this point.
So there you have it… All you need is some emotional support tools, a little exercise, and some quality ‘Me Time’ (whatever that looks like to you) to mentally set yourself up for success… and, at very least, ease the pain of the work week… Have a Happy New Year! // SARA DAVID
