Yes, it's true. I like hangovers. Every time I say this sentence, whoever I'm talking to looks at me quizzically, as if to say, "What the hell are you talking about? Hangovers suck!" I don't agree. I think hangovers are great. Am I insane? Maybe, but hear me out...
When I'm hung over, my brain operates in a totally different way than when I'm straight (or even when I've been drinking). I think the "fogginess" that people associate with the hangover is just a different kind of clarity. When I'm hung over, it's true that it's very difficult for me to go down my "to do" list, checking off item after item... but this is a good thing. When I'm hung over, I do whatever is in front of me, whatever needs the most attention, whatever seems right, without worrying about trying to hold the entire world in my hands, without trying to do everything. Just do one thing. Just do this one thing, and then move on. Don't think about the next thing, think about where you are, and be there. I find hangovers to be actually very centering. When I'm hung over, it's impossible not to be in the moment that I am in. I can't think about the next thing coming or the thing that just happened, because functioning in this moment is taking all of my energy. And I like that.
I think it's healthy to look at the world from a different perspective, and that's exactly what hangovers enable me to do. The world looks different. So, while many people see hangovers as a unfortunate repercussion of a night of over indulgence, I see them as an added benefit, a reason to have an extra drink or two.
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