Portrait of an Addict As a Young Man by Bill Clegg

 I believe that every human being possesses at least one or more weaknesses and/or addictions.  I used to say vice but the definition of vice hinges too heavily on morality, and I do not believe these cravings have anything to do with morality unless they harm or have a negative effect on other human beings.

My weaknesses are, most prominently, food (specifically sugar and fat) and alcohol. After that, and probably less noticeably, are my addictions to the Internet and blogging.  As long as I continue to keep all of these items under control I can continue to enjoy them. If I can’t figure out how to manage a behavior, hopefully, I can learn how to live happily without it.   But these things are, and always will be, a daily battle for me.  Limits have to be determined, set, and followed in order for me to maintain balance and peace in my mind and life.

I have immense admiration for people who have the courage to own and harness their weaknesses. I also really love people who are honest and conscious of their own flaws.

I tend to enjoy books whose authors display these qualities in their writing. As a reader this style of writing makes me feel normal, relatable, and human.

Bill Clegg possesses just this style of writing that I am trying to describe.  As I read this book I wanted to ask Bill to please stop or die.  In the same breath, I also wanted to thank him for his honesty and inventive storytelling. In the end I wanted him to find just one minute of peace.

This book is inspiring and serves as another one of life’s reminders that this journey never ends.  You don’t get to put the last piece of the puzzle in place then sit back and relax with your mind swimming in utter happiness at your accomplishment for the rest of your life.  You get to marvel at the completed puzzle, smile, pat yourself on the back, maybe even take a picture of it but then you must open a fresh box and begin another puzzle.

Before I end this review I don’t want to forget to mention that, Bill has a pretty great sense of humor.  At one point in the book he compares himself and another addict to, “The Harold and Maude of crack addicts.” I found this hilarious in its context.

FYI, I included the following definitions just as a matter of interest and reference.  Sometimes I find myself using common words over and over again in life but I hardly ever stop to evaluate if I am using them correctly.

weakness

   [week-nis] noun

1.       the state or quality of being weak;  lack of strength, firmness, vigor, or the like; feebleness.

2.       an inadequate or defective quality, as in a person’s character; slight fault or defect: to show great sympathy for human weaknesses.

3.       a self-indulgent liking or special fondness, as for a particular thing: I’ve always had a weakness for the opera.

4.       an object of special desire; something very difficult to resist: Chocolates were her weakness.

   Vice

      [vahys] noun

1.       an immoral or evil habit or practice. Synonyms: fault, failing, foible, weakness. Antonyms: virtue.

2.       immoral conduct; depraved or degrading behavior: a life of vice. Synonyms: depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, corruption. Antonyms: virtue, morality.

3.       sexual immorality, especially prostitution. Synonyms: wantonness, degeneracy, licentiousness.

4.       a particular form of depravity.

5.       a fault, defect, or shortcoming: a minor vice in his literary style. Synonyms: flaw, blemish, imperfection, foible, weakness.

     Addiction

ad·dic·tion[ ə díksh’n ]ad·dic·tions  Plural, NOUN

1. drug dependence: a state of physiological or psychological dependence on a potentially harmful drug

2. devotion: great interest in a particular thing to which a lot of time is devoted

“Internet addiction”

Thesaurus

NOUN

Synonyms: habit, compulsion, dependence, need, obsession, craving, infatuation

One Comment

  1. Great post…..on the must read list now…

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