What Are the Earth People Thinking?

So today at Starbucks I gave my name as Brad again, determined this time to remember what my name was supposed to be. I was psyched. I was focused. I felt like a Brad. I became a Brad. I was one with Brad

"Brian! Brian! Tall Americano for Brian!" my barista shouted out.

I can't even screw up The System properly anymore.

"Maybe they're screwing with you," SuperK pointed out.



!!!!

"I'm just being silly," I said.

"No, it's weird," SuperK said. "Do you think other people are in there giving fake names out?"

"Yeah, but I know that I'm doing it," I said.

"That's doesn't make any difference," she replied.

Anyway, with this behavior in mind I was pondering the public reaction to the behavior of alcoholics. Something horrible happened today to a local celebrity whose actions in the past led one to believe that alcohol and drugs may have played a part. Maybe not, too; there are a lot of non-alcoholics out there making bad decisions. I'm speculating on whether or not someone has a drinking problem which I shouldn't do. Every man, woman, and beast of the field gets to make that declaration on their own. I'm an alcoholic because I say I am.

But I get the sense that Earth People think that we make these mistakes because we're weak or evil or lazy, not because we're sick. I remember, with a cold shiver up and down my spine, how my disease drove me over the cliff time and time again. It didn't help that I was vaguely aware that I was going over the edge but I couldn't seem to take my foot off the accelerator. I don't think my car even had a brake. I didn't make a conscious decision to ruin things, I just did it. I was on Auto Pilot.

My car had a Self Destruct button the size of a minor asteroid.