Free?

"Isn't it great to wake up in the morning and be free!"

That's what a lad said to me outside the Community Addiction Unit the other day. I think he was called Joe, and I really should remember because our conversation felt important at the time.

I gave him some tobacco because he'd left his at home, and he told me a bit about himself. His heroin addiction, losing his mother, alcoholism, homelessness. I feel a fake and a fraud when I hear what other people have gone through to land in addiction - my very comfortable life and my self-inflicted problems feel, well, lightweight.

It makes me angry at myself: I've had every opportunity you can imagine and I've pissed it all away, to this.

I think I've a long way to go to be free as well. A long way.

If you spent it, thank you for your time.

The Cardiff Drunk.