The Sneaky Pint: Wasting Time

Posted on July 30, 2020 / by The Drunken Poet

Ever feel like life is slipping by you? Like an old friend wearing a facemask, who you didn’t recognise until it was too late and then they were gone. Vanishing into the distance. The Sneaky Pint has had some time for reflection of late, as have we all. Isolation pursuits may not be a waste of time on their own; I’d never poo poo the making of banana bread; but when you look at isolation as a solid block, it can be tempting to wonder about how else you might’ve spent your time, had life been Covid free. But then again, that’s just life in general. Isn’t it? A constant yearning for something more. A something that’s always just out of reach and if and when it is attained, then there’s something else just out of reach. Another sliding doors moment where your life could’ve careered down another road. One day you’re shopping at the market, buying yourself a live pangolin for dinner and the next minute… Yep, it can happen to the best of us. Personally I’ve never started a global pandemic, but if we put ourselves in that unlucky fucker’s shoes for a second, we’d probably find that they were yearning for something more. A bat maybe. Or maybe they really wanted some homemade sourdough, but there was just a load of obscure live animals for sale.
So the next time you’re gazing wistfully out the window, daydreaming about life before or after lockdown and how much better it was or will be, take a second to look at your reflection in said window and look into the eyes of that restlessly insatiable beast and realise that ultimate satisfaction is a myth and you should probably just enjoy the moment. Because who knows, maybe you’re only one live pangolin away from your last moment. Of course dreaming of sucking the creamy, bitter sweet froth from a pint of Guinness is perfectly natural and let’s face it, will no doubt remain a lifetime pursuit for many of you avid fans of the Poet. Sometimes it’s best not to fight these urges. To paraphrase Leonard Cohen; you can waste a lot time trying to create your own masterpiece, but you’re probably better off sinking into the real masterpiece. (Pretty sure he was talking about Guinness at the time.)
Since we’re on the topic of worthy pursuits and wasting time and how there’s precious little separating them, let’s take a second to salute the many and amazing attributes of tea. The Sneaky Pint might be riding a Hawaiian sized wave of caffeine here, but is there anything quite like it? Rarely a time of day when it isn’t appropriate. A warming solace in the depths of Winter and almost definitely an essential crutch to get us all through this bloody pandemic. Coffee might be your hip new friend, but tea is the open arms of your granny; and like a hug from an older relative, the mere aroma of tea can set in train a range of emotions that coffee will never match. Also now that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are on the same side, your choice of tea is no longer a political statement and is just what it always was and always shall be….just plain old, restorative, enriching…. tea.
You’re probably wondering if the Sneaky Pint is wasting your time and there’s a good chance I am. Fret not! After reading this you can go back to gazing out the window, drinking tea and looking at your reflection, but if I may impose on your tight schedule just a little longer… Please, please, please try to remember that the musicians you’ve been watching for free at The Drunken Poet for the last almost 14 years are in seriously dire straits and need your help. So make yourself another cup of tea, tune in to Virtual Pub Trivia which is in aid of Supportact (supporting the Arts industry ) and tune in to Tribute Tuesday on the Poet’s facebook page and throw some coins in the hat of a musician or two. That wouldn’t be wasting anyone’s time. Here’s to raising a glass with you all when this rotten business is over.

S.Pint.