Wednesday, 29 October 2008

Confession of My Addiction(s)

At first, one would have thought that addiction was that of alcohol and drugs, then only after a short period came the realization that it – addiction – can be of any kind, e.g. watching pornography or soccer.
As time went by, I took it as something that will go away, but it hasn’t!

Addiction as we now know it (or at least as I know it) – has become part of my life. In fact, I am an addict but not a drug or alcohol nor sex-addict!

In order for you to understand my addiction, we first need to find out what it means and how one can get out of it.

According to Wikipedia, addiction is “used in many contexts to describe an obsession, compulsion, or excessive physical dependence or psychological dependence, such as: drug addiction, alcoholism, compulsive overeating, problem gambling, computer addiction, etc.”

Mine, however, is quite different from the examples give above as it’s very unlikely for a human being to have such an addiction or obsession if you would like to call it. But there are possibilities that not all of us, human beings, would experience it,

Be that as it may, addiction is a very serious and somewhat contagious illness, not very good which cannot be gotten over easily with tablets or drugs. No, it’s not!

Birth of my Addiction
Although people’s addictions start differently by trying a cigarette or cocaine, mine on the other hand started as something different as a result of my inquisitiveness.
For example, if you like soccer and reading soccer related publications, you would then have to watch almost every soccer programme on television or soccer-related channel in order to feed your addiction (to soccer).

Unnoticed, my addiction started at high school when I had interest in reading every piece of paper – new or old. This was the advised my English teacher at the time gave in class.

This, said the English teacher, would help improve our level of understanding the language and communicate effectively in that particular language, English. She however, didn’t mean to demean or undermine nor underestimate other languages that are regarded as official in South Africa, especially vernacular ones, e.g. Tswana, Sotho, etc.

All the teacher was trying to do, was motivate us (school children) at the time that there are many ways in which one can improve oneself in everything that one puts his/her mind to and concentration.

As a result my attention and effort were then put in reading every dirty piece of newspaper especially written in English that I came across on the street. That’s how my addiction stated!

This addiction then continued until university and even at the time of writing, hence my love and admiration for writing.

While at university, I used to buy newspapers with every cent I had or would read any newspaper – especially informative – from the university’s Library. Not only newspapers, but also magazines and which resulted in me being well informed and having the drive to read a lot.

Sunday Times and The Star were some of the South African newspapers that I used to buy and read a lot. I would however buy The Star on Wednesday as it had article which were my career-related – Human Resource Management, while Sunday Times I would only buy on Sundays as it was a weekly Sunday newspaper, insightful and provided comments which at times I would not agree with, but that did not stop me buying the paper.

After completing my studies last year 2007 at the time of writing, Mail & Guardian was then added to the list of my addictions. This, some would argue, was because it provided insightful coverage on different issues that a lot of weekly newspapers, especially Sunday one are trying to cover as well.

Being the addict that I was, I then developed love and trust to some extent for these newspapers – Sunday Times, Mail & Guardian and The Star – whereby I would use every last cent I had on me just so that my mind could be fed with the information such publications provided, despite some of their commentators and analysts at times not being as analytic as anyone who subscribes to such or even buy to read them expects of any comment under Sunday Times’ News & Opinion, Mail & Guardian’s Comment & Analysis and The Star’s Opinion & Analysis features.

Whenever I’m broke and haven’t got any coins to buy my drugs – Sunday Times on Sunday and Mail & Guardian on Fridayon Sunday and Friday – there would then be a sense and feeling of my day’s incompleteness or empltiness, like I’m running short of something.

Instead of emailing editors in response to articles I had read on their publications, I decided to put my thoughts, arguments and ideas on my blog. Coco-Cola, it seems, has also been added to a list of my addiction. This was after the realization that my day felt empty and incomplete without drinking it.

Not getting any of addiction supplements or not supplementing my addiction results in me feeling empty, incomplete and somewhat sick which is very unlike me and not normal at all. This to some extent has affected me socially, personally and intellectuality. But have not lost my sense or worth nor intellect and do not intend doing so!

Of late – my addiction – has been buying books with the intention of reading them. Therefore, as a result of not making time and effort, I ended up not reading a book from start to finish.

These are just a few of the books - My Book Club Collection – I bought as a result of my addiction and the love of reading:

  • Capitalist Nigger: The Road to Success - a Spider web Doctrine
  • The 4 Pillars of Leadership
  • Laying the Ghost to rest: The Dilemmas of Transformation in South Africa
  • SAAPAM journals (members only)
  • To the Brink: The State of Democracy
  • Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the battlefield in your Mind

Mail & Guardian online has again become one of my reliable news web sites and sources. This again, could be its insightful thought leader blog.

Being the recovering addict I think I am – what are your addictions?

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