Week 38... "Flight"

Greetings:

This week, I would like to "skim the surface," if you will, regarding a topic that is maybe a bit more difficult to understand than I realize.  Addiction...  Dictionary.com defines addiction as:  The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

Spoiler Alert!!!  Flight Movie Details Below...

Last Saturday, Donna and I ran a few errands late in the afternoon, had dinner and libations at one of our favorite restaurants, Pappasito's, and then came home early enough to scan the On-Demand movie list.  We settled on the movie Flight, with Denzel Washington.  The movie is about a veteran Airline Pilot, who, after a mechanical failure, steers a jet airplane through adversity and certain death to all those on board, to a miraculous crash landing with minimal fatalities, due to his calm demeanor and steady hand, albeit with a daring procedure, although he drank alcohol before and during his flight.  Hailed as hero at first, the investigation into the crash reveals, ultimately, that Denzel's character is an alcoholic. 

The movie goes on to show, at least for this movie, how Denzel's character deals with his addiction, and in the end, he succumbs to years of lies and living a life of denial, pain, and loss of family and friends.  He admits to being an alcoholic, is sent to prison, and it is there, that he finally becomes sober and tells his "story" to other prisoners.  

Now, if you know me at all, I am constantly talking about "Libations" in a fun, loving, way.  More often than not, I have a space on this Blog titled "Libations Anyone???," highlighting a "spirited beverage" for the week.  For most "average and responsible" adults, it's a subject that can be talked about and enjoyed in moderation.  Abusing it is not considered in this context.  But, sadly, there are those that can't seem to simply "enjoy" it and "walk away" so to speak.  Although I am speaking of alcohol while pertaining to this Blog post, certainly drug addiction is on the table as well.  

The movie led to a discussion between Donna & I on addiction.  Donna has dealt with and seen up close those with a drug addiction.  I have seen it from afar somewhat and therefore, my total understanding of it is lacking a bit.  I come from the perspective of:  if it is bad, if it is wrong, if it can potentially harm or hurt you or others, if it is holding you back or keeping you from living a successful life, if it tears a family apart...  then STOP!!!  Easy???  Maybe not...  Therein lies my "naivety" as much as I hate to admit that.  I am not an addict and therefore, I do not think like an addict.  Donna has tried to make me understand that for years.  Slowly but surely, it may be finally sinking in.  Donna is not an addict, but is much more sensitive to the addict illness.

There was a scene in the movie that was very telling...  Toward the end, on the night before Denzel's character is to appear before the NTSB hearing on the crash, and with everything on the line for him and his career, he is put into a hotel room with a guard at the door to keep him out of any trouble and sober for his appearance the next morning.  He checks his room fridge and it has been stocked with water and soda's.  As fate would have it, at some point during the night, he finds the adjoining room door unlocked.  The room is empty and he casually opens the door to that room's fridge.  Paradise (for him)!!!  Full of liquor and beer.  He looks at all the bottles, opens one and sniffs it, puts the cap back on and sits it on top of the fridge.  The camera stays on the tiny liquor bottle sitting on top of the fridge for several seconds.  And then, you see his hand scoop the bottle and you just know that's not a good thing.  And it wasn't...  The life of an "addicted alcoholic."  As I watched that scene, I thought about how I would react to seeing all those bottles of booze:  I would have shut the door and gone back to bed knowing what an important day I had ahead of me, a day that would determine my future.  But, I'm not an addict.  He kept opening that fridge the rest of the night and eventually passed out on the bathroom floor.  Very sad, but the movie is very interesting and I think does a good job of trying to show just how hard it is for an addict to live a "normal and responsible" life. 

And Now, For Something Completely Different...    

Let's lighten things up just a bit and talk about some food.  Check this out:

Recipe's:  This week, I tried another Pinterest recipe I came across from allrecipes.com, and I will tell you that Donna and I found our smile.  I am absolutely a "Steak & Potatoes" guy and I was very happy with my Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak and gravy over Slu's Mashed Potatoes.  I put some asparagus on the side and it was amazing.  I hope you'll click on the link and check it out...  See below for how mine turned out:

A Pic of My Home-Made Version...

Music:  I've heard this song a couple of times in the last week on Pandora.  I first heard it and fell in love with this particular version at the end of the movie, 50 First Dates...  I hope you will give a listen to Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole's version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.  A very beautiful song.

Market Watch:  A bit of a dip this week for Facebook as it fell slightly to 28.30...  The Market as a whole, fell back to just under 14,000.  

The End:  Another week in the books...  Thank You very much for checking in at Slu's World.  I hope to see you back next week.  Have a great weekend.

Be safe, be smart, and always smile...  It's "Happy Friday"

adios...  vaya con dios