Relinquishing Control

Snow continues to fall over Northern BC. Over the past two days and two more to come, a foot of powder that is settling uncomfortably as the weather warms. A thick blanket that cannot be lifted but must be scattered or scraped. My sedan rests nearly invisible while the parking lot will not be cleared until mid-weekend.

Unfortunate, as I will need to be on the road soon, heading south before the mercury starts its dangerous dance between above- and sub-zero readings on the gauge. 800km to Vancouver, as I navigate the transition between my current profession to another on the horizon. A shift from Indigenous health to economic advocacy. (Hence the lack of updates recently – a lot on the mind and in the calendar.)

On a late Friday evening like this, I find myself craving spirits. A glass of red wine would be stellar; a small reprieve from a week that has demanded more mental energy than most. This is a strange thirst, given that I almost never consume alcohol. It is one of those pleasures reserved for dinners with friends or loved ones, once every few waxing crescents. I do not even have any in the apartment – nor have I ever kept this temptation at hand. Treated like so many other impulses by this minimalist: its grocery store isle granted a casual glance plus a shake of the head before being omitted from the circuit.

The thought of alcohol also summons forth the memory of the great piece shared above, from an artist imbibing as much creativity as anything else with each glass.

A video bookmarked a long time ago, because I find it funny and poignant. About someone describing their life, like the drug of their choice, through the lens of control. A desire that she cannot satisfy yet one that is clearly consuming.

Maybe I do not drink a lot for the same reasons I have rejected invitations to consume other drugs. The thought of losing my faculties, even if only a little, too distasteful. Call it the James Randi Principle – our vulnerabilities as human beings too great to be diminished any further. A small, illusory jaunt not enough to convince me, most times, to overlook the many downsides. Health and critical discernment right at the top of the list.

But damn, I could really go for a negroni right now.

Your Frames entry for this week – a brief consideration of what is within our grasp, until it is not.