My Garden Was Invaded By London Drunks

Yesterday evening I was out and about having a wee stroll in my garden…well not quite my own garden. I share it with a few thousand dead people and whoever else wanders in. As most of my regular readers will know I’m referring to Paddington Old Cemetery. A place I go to for some fresh air, and relaxation. It is my chilling out zone.

What a nightmare day I had yesterday. I had to stay in and wait in for an important delivery. You know how it goes the company says we will deliver between 8am and 7pm…WTF, I ask them if they are having a laugh and can they not at least say morning or afternoon. It was impossible for them to give me a more specific time. Fuckers..!

I waited and waited and then waited some more, until the guy finally turned up at 6.45pm. I guess it was good of them to show up at all and on the right day. So I suppose I better not moan about it too much. All that hanging around indoors watching the world go past outside was driving me stir crazy. It reminded me of nights spent banged up in police cells when I was a wild man in my younger days.

With the waiting game out of the way, I headed up to Paddington Old Cemetery for a walk and a seat. As I was wandering around breathing in the smells of the wild flowers, plants and trees I couldn’t help but notice a bunch of drunks, who had invaded my garden. They were lazing around on the grass drinking cheap cider, peeing against the trees, and reading a bit of poetry…I kid you not! They were maybe a bunch of no good drunks but they weren’t doing anybody any harm. I even noticed one of them put empty cans in the bin. They were maybe drunks, but they weren’t lowlifes.

I know that many people look at drunken bums with revulsion and hatred. But for me I see people, good people that I once knew who let the demon drink kill them. I wont go into too many details. I use to know a very talented principle music teacher, great singer and musician that somehow couldn’t shake the bottle, until their body packed in and they died. One of my best friends brothers whom I had known since primary school, all around nice guy. Good job, beautiful wife and kids, no money worries. He only packed in the drink in when he died. I have one lifelong friend that was unbelievable close to destroying his own life through drink, thankfully he has turned it around and is now helping others to shake the vice like grip that alcohol can have on people. And there was one guy that use to hang around with my group of friends, who was a registered alcoholic, who hasn’t been seen or heard of for about 5 years, presumed dead.

I have personally seen how booze can own people, destroy them and ultimately kill them. So when I watched those drunks, it reminded me of those good people that I use to know. I remember them before the booze controlled them. It brings a tear to my eye thinking about how destructive a force alcohol can be, and wonder why it is that it can take over the life’s of so many educated and talented people.

Yesterdays evenings walk brought back some happy memories of good people that I use to know, I just wish they were all still here, enjoying life like they use to, before the demon drink became their master and tragically cut their life’s short.

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