JUST ME AND MY BEER...

Coming up in the hood one of my favorite rap songs was "Me and My Bitch" by Biggie Smalls. The song is a sort of a gangstas sonnet of sorts. Essentially, it's about a ride or die chic that is down for whatever when it comes to her man. It's a song about loyalty and reckless abandoned in relationships. I wish I could report that I'm enjoying a "me and my bitch" moment here late on a Sunday night. But I'm not.

Loyalty has always been a Major issue when it comes to relationships of any kind for me. It is a big issue when you come up in the hood. Loyalty can make all the difference in life or death, jail or freedom, safety or danger. Again, it's major. I remember dropping people off my list of friends quickly once it was evident that they had no loyalty. In a world of uncertainty and danger you can't afford to take chances like that.

Loyalty was one of the things that attracted me to my wife. If you were to ask her she would deny it but once upon a time she told me she would be willing to go to jail for me. My mother can recall a heated argument turned physical between she and I where my wife stood in front of me as a warning that she was down for whatever to protect me. My mother stated that was a sign that I was in good hands. Those hands no longer exist in my reality.

In any event, I sit here tonight with another dependable friend...my beer. I had plans to hang out with the fellas and watch the game at a local establishment. Both of my boys fell through for legitimate reasons. That left me home alone. So, in my time of loneliness I turned to the dependable ride or die chic that's cold as ice and can keep you as warm as the sun...Beer.

I remember taking my substance abuse course in grad school and the professor making the statement that alcohol is dependable. No matter what, you will get the same results every time. As Billy D used to say, "Colt 45, works every time." I can't lie the saying is true. You keep pumping enough alcohol into your system and you will get the effect you're looking for.

So here I am, my wife has failed me, my friends fell through, the female friend who's company I desired was not available. Therefore, I have turned to old faithful. I don't know how much I will drink. I don't know if I will drink till drunk. What I do know is that I'm going to enjoy myself, this beer, my snacks, and this game. Tonight, it's just me and my beer.