Good Friends

Hi my name is Monday. Yesterday was certainly the longest day ever. I got up on Saturday morning after having been stressed out from a terrible workday on Friday. Some of my friends from work who are real party animals invited me to come hang out for the day on Saturday so I did.

As soon as I got up I went to Vicky’s house where she and another friend of ours name Shamrock were smoking a fat one. Of course I took a hit and was faded after that. “Gave you that good sugar honey ice tea didn’t I playboy?” Vicky asked as she laughed in her high. “Yeah you did.” I responded with a faint laugh. While I was sitting in that daze of a high I started to notice something. This high wasn’t feel so good. I mean, it felt like it always did. Being this faded normally was the greatest feeling ever, but for some reason it didn’t feel right at this moment.

“Come on y’all let’s hit the city.” Shamrock said. We headed to the ABC store to get some liquor and when we got there something felt out of place. I’m surrounded by all of this hard liquor that made me feel like I was floating on cloud nine on a Friday night, but at this moment it felt like I was sitting in a pool of poison. “Get the patron and lets take it back to the house and get tore up from the floor up.” Vicky said. I was laughing and smiling with them as we collected our liquid courage, but part of me was feeling uncomfortable. What was this feeling? And why was I feeling this way?

We got the liquor and headed back to Vicky’s house and started drinking away. I was anxious to take a stiff drink and drown out my pain from the most exhausting Friday ever. So I started drinking and taking in as much liquor as my body would allow. Now I’m drunk and it feels like someone had tied a fifty pound weight every limb of my body including my neck. My eyes are also getting heavy. So heavy that I slowly start to fall asleep.

I finally wake up around 7:30 a.m. and boy was I feeling bad. It felt like I had been drugged and physically violated in a way that I couldn’t explain. Vicky and Shamrock were already awake, loud laughing and still high as a kite. “Come on sleepy bones.” Vicky started. “We’re about to head to the club.” We all headed out the door and went to Club Chaos just a few blocks away. I barely had enough strength to stomach the journey, but nevertheless I made it.

Sure enough, debauchery was everywhere. Smoking, drinking and freaky dancing everywhere. After a few minutes of chaos I decided it wasn’t for me. I was emotionally overwhelmed and decided okay, it’s time for me to go. That toxic behavior I had been taking part in all day wasn’t making me feel better. It was only making me worse and I had to get out. I called myself an Uber without even telling Vicky and Shamrock and got myself home. When I made it back to my house I fell out on my bed still feeling bad from all the intoxication I overwhelmed myself with. In that moment all I could do was text my best friend, BK. I asked her could she come hang out with me on Sunday and sending there was something wrong she agreed. I went to sleep on that Saturday night praying and hoping for the best on that upcoming Sunday.

I woke up the next day to a bright and sunny Sunday morning. Mybody was still in a slump from yesterday’s craziness, but I’m here. BK came to my house to pick me up and we headed to Starbucks. While there we sipped Frappuccinos and talked about life. I told her what was bothering me and she told me about what was going on with her and how we’d get through it. “Yeah, life can be funky sometimes.” BK began. “But we make do and remember that everything happens for a reason, one that will benefit us in the future.” I then proceeded to tell her about all the toxicity I took part in the day before expecting her to scold me. “I’m not mad at you.” she started. “It’s in our nature to find coping mechanisms to help us deal with life’s challenges, even when our coping strategy is unhealthy.” I have to say I was surprised by her response.

So I guess I need healthier attachments?” I asked her. “Yes, dear friend, you do.” The rest of our day together was one of peace. After enjoying Starbucks we went to breakfast and got caught up on old times. She then invited me to take a walk with her to her favorite park. This really had me feeling better. It felt like all the toxicity I poisoned myself with before had faded away and all the problems I was dealing with before were no longer important.

BK looked me in the eye as the day ended and told me “No matter what, I’ll always be here for you, even if I’m a thousand miles away. You have healthy love you can rest with, so don’t be afraid to rest there.” She was right. Good friends and healthy attachments are more than enough to help you survive and I’m choosing to be a survivor. I know now that I will make it through life’s hardships and it’s all thanks to my good friends.