Hangovers - choices and consequences


I've never actually had a hangover, but when I googled about it, I found a lot of photos like this one - people who are clearly in agony, with a hot-water bottle on their heads. It doesn't look fun - I think I will continue to avoid the experience.
A hangover, as I understand from reading, happens when someone chooses to drink alcohol excessively; they are fine while they are drinking (not counting the impairment that can come from too much alcohol), but the hangover hits the next morning; they can have headaches, fatigue, dizziness, body aches, nausea, etc. Apparently people who choose to drink a lot have decided that the enjoyment of drinking is worth the discomfort they might experience the next day.
Today, I've been pondering those "morning after" consequences of decisions and our motivation for doing the things we do. I am experiencing my own consequences of a decision I made yesterday; I chose to have the second COVID vaccine, and this morning I suffered the consequences of that decision, including many of those same "hangover" symptoms described above. But in this case the application and lesson extend a little further. I didn't choose to get the vaccine because I love having a needle stuck in my arm and enjoyed that experience SO MUCH that I was willing to put up with the symptoms today. I chose to get vaccinated and risk the after-effects because I was convinced it would benefit me in the long run. I had trust and confidence in those who developed, tested, and recommended the vaccine, and in the positive impact it could have both on me and on society as a whole. That made me eager to move ahead, even if it meant a day or two of discomfort.
We often have delayed impact for our choices and decisions. Things we choose to eat or drink, lifestyle preferences, relationships we get involved in, the things we read or watch in media, how we spend our free time - all of these things and countless more have immediate motivations and often benefits, but their real impact on us is often hard to anticipate or specify. We are wise as we face decisions every day to try to consider - what might be the long-term result of this decision? Might it have "morning after" consequences, or year-after impacts in my life? I believe this is a skill that can be developed and enhanced with pondering and practice.
I #GiveThanks for the chance to make choices, and for the lesson of the "hangover" that helps to make choices in perspective.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Persistence

Image
  There's a principle of persistence that applies to climbing mountains, but also to many other aspects of life. We all get tired, we "run out of gas," we get frustrated with delays, we despair of reaching our goal, we think the job will never end, we keep waiting for the weather to improve, we become frustrated with "enduring." We give up, and we probably never know if we stopped just short of the point of significant achievement. The most growth often comes at, and after, that point of fatigue. I really appreciate the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was a favorite of Heber J. Grant and is often attributed to him, but he was quoting Emerson when he spoke it. It makes sense that we get more comfortable and competent at anything we persist in doing. Hard things become easier as we become practiced and proficient. On the other hand, there is sometimes wisdom in not "running faster than we are able." Or running longer than we are able! There comes a po...
Read more

"Sing, Choirs of Angels!"

Image
  "Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation; Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!" "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:13-14) The accounts of the birth of Jesus don't actually say that heavenly choirs of angels were singing when they appeared to the shepherds in the fields. It says "saying," not "singing." But most of us can't read the words they shared without hearing in our minds Handel's arrangement from Messiah. And we often associate singing with the most joyful expression of emotion. That is certainly felt at Christmastime. I love Christmas music and look forward to enjoying it each year during the weeks leading to Christmas. Many of our most favorite carols and hymns are so familiar, but yet so powerful. Through the years I've found several lesser-known Christmas songs that ...
Read more

Sensory memories: juicy pear jelly bellies

Image
  My mother was a fascinating woman, with a broad exposure to the world resulting from extensive and frequent travel. She knew all about various cultures, cuisines, and delicacies. In her later years, she had a series of strokes that made it difficult to remember and communicate. Her world shrank dramatically. I don't recall when she developed a liking for "jelly bellies" - those small, flavorful jelly beans. At some point, I started bringing them to her regularly, usually in the bag of multi-flavor assortments. If her supply ran low, she would remind me, "I need more of those - what are they? - bellies." That was all she remembered. So I would bring her more. She quickly developed a favorite, though. She was always delighted to come across the light green ones with dark green spots among the assortment. I had already developed a preference for the "juicy pear" variety myself, so it was interesting that both of us discovered that liking separately! I ...
Read more