36. A Certain Kind of Tired

“What brought you to this insight?” I asked DUI Dave. “Something happen?”

“Nothing happened,” he said.  “Maybe tomorrow I’ll be back to my old, angry, never-wrong self, but today I’m out of venom. I’m tired.  Sounds crazy, but I’m kinda grateful I’m so worn down.” 

For the first time, I heard him laugh, not a mocking laugh, but a real laugh.  “Now if I could run out of jealousy and stupidity, I’d be OK.”

“AA has that slogan ‘sick and tired of being sick and tired,” I said. “Mostly it’s to remind you why you quit in the first place.  I think it has another meaning.  You know how they say a crisis is also an opportunity?”

Dave finished my thought for me, “A certain kind of tired is an opportunity, too. You’re forced to slow down and take a look at yourself.  Maybe change something before you get your second wind.”

Today I’ll be grateful for being a certain kind of tired.

Sober Not Somber © 2015 by Ken Montrose

(Just a reminder: Sober Not Somber is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to anyone you might know is purely coincidental.)