Friday, September 08, 2006
Drug Rant
I'm getting really tired. Apart from the work I've been doing, both on the house and for The Company at home and in the office, my sleep pattern has become somewhat restricted. I'm getting up earlier - I have to if I want to get Laura to school on time - but I'm also not getting to my bed until about 1am each night.
Once it hits 10pm, no matter how long the day has been, the time shoots by and it's after midnight before I know it. I might get caught up in my writing somehow, or TV, or make a cuppa or something when I should really be sleeping. But I don't, and I feel it the next day.
Like today. I'm sore and feel like I could sleep for a week. I'm splattered with white and aqua blue/green paint on my arms and I wish I could sit down and write for the day instead of having to go to the office.
The journey to work was a nightmare. On the bus I had to sit at the back. A group of junkies; two girls and a guy got on at the bottom of Leith Walk. I sat and listened to their conversation, and once I figured out what the guy was saying, in that nasal slurring voice you always seem to get off these people in Edinburgh, he started telling the girls how hard his week has been because he only managed to get enough money together for two bags of heroin for him and his bird. Gee - tough life, mate.
Then - and get this - he told them his wee girl just started primary school this week and his wee boy nursery! WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!? I don't need to really say it, but people like that don't deserve kids. There is surely a case for preventing drug addicts who aren't willing to help themselves from having children. Castration, perhaps? Or is that a step too far?
What kind of environment are those kids being brought up in? A house full of smack with two junkie parents who couldn't care what they do and when? It's disgusting. It made me want to turn round and belt the guy in the mouth with my size 10's, but he probably wouldn't have felt it due to the junk in his blood numbing all his nerves. Prick.
This, dear readers, is the side of Edinburgh (and Scotland) that Jack McConnell doesn't want you to see. Come to the Capital in August and marvel at the beauty, the art and the lovely scenery by all means. But while you're here, spare a thought for the children living a short bus ride away in slum council flats, who know more about how to score a hit than they do about reading and writing.
These wee people don't get a chance at life, so think about them next time you're in an expensive coffee shop eating a bacon roll and a cappuccino for the same amount of money as they get to buy a bag of chips for the dinner every night of the week. That's the real Edinburgh. It's not all a party in this city. But it's ok, because Jack Flash says so.
After I got Laura from the After School Club (and heard about the boy who had swallowed a 50 pence piece during the afternoon), we headed home. Laura wanted to make a welcome home card for Gail so I sat down and fell asleep on the couch almost immediately. It had all caught up with me. I felt like I was out for hours, but in reality it was only about 20 minutes, when Laura came down and woke me to show me her art.
After dinner, I started to work on the short stories my pal sent me to crit. I stopped to watch Rebus, with Ken Stott playing the main part based on Rankin's The Black Book. Stott is simply superb in the role; funny, sharp and a great portrayal of how I imagine the character to be. This adaption came off much better than the earlier ones, mainly because of him.
My ideas for the Phrase Exercise are sticking and not flowing at all. Every time I get an idea I start writing but it falls flat and I can't continue. Not sure why. Maybe I'm trying to do too much with it or be overly smart, but even keeping it simple doesn't seem to do it any justice. I might skip it to go onto the next exercise then return when a more solid idea hits me. Which it will.
One more day until Gail comes home. I can't wait to see her.
Once it hits 10pm, no matter how long the day has been, the time shoots by and it's after midnight before I know it. I might get caught up in my writing somehow, or TV, or make a cuppa or something when I should really be sleeping. But I don't, and I feel it the next day.
Like today. I'm sore and feel like I could sleep for a week. I'm splattered with white and aqua blue/green paint on my arms and I wish I could sit down and write for the day instead of having to go to the office.
The journey to work was a nightmare. On the bus I had to sit at the back. A group of junkies; two girls and a guy got on at the bottom of Leith Walk. I sat and listened to their conversation, and once I figured out what the guy was saying, in that nasal slurring voice you always seem to get off these people in Edinburgh, he started telling the girls how hard his week has been because he only managed to get enough money together for two bags of heroin for him and his bird. Gee - tough life, mate.
Then - and get this - he told them his wee girl just started primary school this week and his wee boy nursery! WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!? I don't need to really say it, but people like that don't deserve kids. There is surely a case for preventing drug addicts who aren't willing to help themselves from having children. Castration, perhaps? Or is that a step too far?
What kind of environment are those kids being brought up in? A house full of smack with two junkie parents who couldn't care what they do and when? It's disgusting. It made me want to turn round and belt the guy in the mouth with my size 10's, but he probably wouldn't have felt it due to the junk in his blood numbing all his nerves. Prick.
This, dear readers, is the side of Edinburgh (and Scotland) that Jack McConnell doesn't want you to see. Come to the Capital in August and marvel at the beauty, the art and the lovely scenery by all means. But while you're here, spare a thought for the children living a short bus ride away in slum council flats, who know more about how to score a hit than they do about reading and writing.
These wee people don't get a chance at life, so think about them next time you're in an expensive coffee shop eating a bacon roll and a cappuccino for the same amount of money as they get to buy a bag of chips for the dinner every night of the week. That's the real Edinburgh. It's not all a party in this city. But it's ok, because Jack Flash says so.
After I got Laura from the After School Club (and heard about the boy who had swallowed a 50 pence piece during the afternoon), we headed home. Laura wanted to make a welcome home card for Gail so I sat down and fell asleep on the couch almost immediately. It had all caught up with me. I felt like I was out for hours, but in reality it was only about 20 minutes, when Laura came down and woke me to show me her art.
After dinner, I started to work on the short stories my pal sent me to crit. I stopped to watch Rebus, with Ken Stott playing the main part based on Rankin's The Black Book. Stott is simply superb in the role; funny, sharp and a great portrayal of how I imagine the character to be. This adaption came off much better than the earlier ones, mainly because of him.
My ideas for the Phrase Exercise are sticking and not flowing at all. Every time I get an idea I start writing but it falls flat and I can't continue. Not sure why. Maybe I'm trying to do too much with it or be overly smart, but even keeping it simple doesn't seem to do it any justice. I might skip it to go onto the next exercise then return when a more solid idea hits me. Which it will.
One more day until Gail comes home. I can't wait to see her.
Colin 12:20 am
2 Comments:
It's sad to think about those little kids and the way they're being brought up. But perhaps the junkies you saw on the bus were brought up exactly the same way. The cycle continues. I'm not sure about lopping blokes' nuts off, though if they decide to do it I know a few candidates for the procedure (I hope no one puts my name forward: "Useless writer type, what good is he, lop em off")
My town's been really hit with the drug thing too - I see some of the homes where these kids have to live, and its tragic. A lady I knew spoke of when she worked at one of the schools in a rough area of town, and she said it was heartbreaking how many kids there had one meal a day - the free school lunch.
I think if a person gets more than one conviction for major drugs (not pot, but anything harder) he or she should be involuntarily steralized.
I think if a person gets more than one conviction for major drugs (not pot, but anything harder) he or she should be involuntarily steralized.