ON HANGOVERS

Most of us have been there. The ‘morning after the night before’. And in all probability, we have regretted our “over-indulgence”.

I recently bought a new boat, not large but sufficient for my (now reduced) needs. It is usual where I live to invite friends (and neighbours) to a small (?) gathering to welcome the boat into new ownership and wish her (they’re always a ‘her’) safe journey and a long life. Small boat owners are renowned for enjoying the company of others especially when it means a new launching (actually any excuse will do) or ownership of the boat; this is always accompanied by not a small degree of liquid ‘salutation’ – rather like ‘wetting the head’ of a new baby!

Without too much pressure I jumped into the task of providing a suitable range of liquid refreshment on this joyous occasion – a wide range of beers, wines and other drinks I knew would be more than acceptable to my friends…I was not disappointed and neither were they.

Later in the evening (and I have no idea what ‘late’ was), we discussed hangovers. One thing we all agreed upon quickly was the bad name given to our state. Over-indulgence is a mean word; none of us would ever consider ‘over-indulging’ as the word “over” indicates we shouldn’t have done it. Our celebration had no such implication! We did not drink too much – we drank just enough and as a group we refused to be disrespectful to our good little time of “mild inebriety” with that mean word ‘over-indulgence’.

Our conversation(s) turned towards well-known (and dubious) cures for our condition…. One of us recalled dear old Horace, who suggested fried shrimp and wine from Kos would cure our condition but that was quickly rejected as we had no shrimp and no wine from Kos. One amongst us then noted that the old imaginative remedies have been abandoned (in the west) for the use of analgesics; this appealed to nobody. So, we stripped down all the cures we could remember to their absolute basics… the theory that alcohol is a poison was thrown out since to some sugar is similar, as is meat. To us, alcohol was a warmer of the soul, a strengthener of muscle and spirit; it has given courage in the face of adversity and made ugly people attractive. Thus our cure …. more of the same – and it worked.

I remember once being told about an old tramp, sitting in a ditch, ragged, dirty and not a little drunk. He whispered softly to himself: “I am rich and happy, and perhaps a little beautiful”.

Until next time (and not over-indulging - often),

Peripatetic Scribe