Conversations with the opiate addicted . . . and etc. . .

Opiate addicts are like frogs. They have two-position attention switches. With frogs, everything falls into two categories--a:) flies, or b:) not flies. Addicts are like a:) drugs, or b:) not drugs. Stuff that falls into category a:) gets all of the attention. b:) stuff gets cursory attention, if any.

Which makes talking with one frustrating, as they will only half-listen to anything you say, and try to fake their way through it, since they have no clue what you're talking about--unless you're talking about drugs, that is. It can be quite fun, though, because the slow train of their one-track mind gets totally thrown out of whack if you interject a conversational curve-ball. Like, changing the subject right in the middle of a conversation. You can almost hear the mental brakes engaging, screeching, while he or she tries to remember what in the hell you were talking about three seconds ago. Since you weren't discussing drugs. Of course, that only lasts a few seconds, until he or she resumes thinking about how much he or she has stashed away, if he or she has enough money to cop, if he or she will be able to wait until the spouse is out before spiking again . . . then you throw them another curve ball and the screeching and crashing commences again. Quite amusing. Really, you have to laugh, because if you don't you'll get frustrated, and trust me, getting frustrated with a drug addict is like getting frustrated at the sky. There's no point.

(And to you drug addicts out there--we know. You may think you're really slick and nobody knows, but trust me--everyone knows. Just because we don't talk about it doesn't mean we don't know. It just means we've realized how pathetic you are and discussing it any further--with you, anyway--is pointless. Among your family and what's left of your friends it's a topic of endless conversation.)

I've been vacationing a bit from creative pursuits but I'm going to resume working on the screenplay later on today. Needed to take a deep mental breath before diving it--I'm coming up on the good part and once I start working on it I want to finish it ASAP. Also, got a basis for a story that my subconcious seems to be quite pleased with--I keep hearing self-satisfied chortling and chuckling down there but it hasn't seen fit to share with my id or whatever yet. Dammit.

That, I guess, is the cost of being creative. I'll live with it.