Not Your Typical Binger

I am a binge addict. Anyone else honest enough to admit that? Oh, I see your heads nodding, and you’re definitely saying, “Me too.” “How is he reading my mind?” you wonder. “This writer probably deserves to win one of those prizes at them Vocal challenges.”

Anyways, as I was saying, if not all of you, a lot of you certainly are “bingers” (yeah, add that term to your vocabulary). But that’s okay, the police won’t be after you anytime soon and nobody needs to know, right? It’s what they call “Guilty Pleasure Binge.” I quite like that phrase. That’s the new term now, so get with it.

THE BEST THING

Isn’t it nice to know that you can come home from a boring day at school or some stressful day at work, or from somewhere else you frankly don’t want to be at and just rest awhile on your smooth, comfy chair, with your coffee on the side (or tea, if you prefer) and exaggerate a sigh of relief?

But isn’t it better to know that you could come home from a stressful day at work knowing that the coffee powder awaits your control and your bed is ready for your retirement if you so wish?

But what’s best is actually coming home from an eventful or boring, wearisome day at work; away from that boss you abhor or from that one frustrating colleague or client, knowing that your off the next day, which can only mean one thing...BINGE NIGHT! One of the most anticipated and exciting moments of my week are those evenings I come home from work knowing I don’t have to come in the following day. When I know I am not working the next day, regardless of how tired I come home from work from the night before, my binging commences on that same night. I’m not kidding. Someone has to knock me out clean unto my bed if you would find me sleeping before midnight or call my mama to get her to come to my house with her century-year old leather belt and yelling , “Go to bed, now!” I’m in my mid-twenties by the way. Just sayin’.

Anyways, let‘s get to my guilty pleasure binge story...

MY GUILTY PLEASURE BINGE STORY

I was coming home from one heck of a boring shift at work one night. It was so boring I was worn out from such deadening boredom. You see, because of the lockdown in place, we weren’t getting much customers to come at our services. So we often found ourselves not working and just standing around waiting for some interesting and kind human being to do business with. There were times when you have absolutely nothing to do but randomly stare at odd spaces, other bored faces, and ordinary objects in the work space that you pretend to gaze at as though it amazed you. That day was one of those times. Of the many objects neatly placed in their designated post, there was one object that caught the interest of both mine and my colleagues’ - the perfectly rounded, ticking clock that hanged perfectly on that smoothly painted white wall. It was awe inspiring. We were all speechless as we fixed our eyes longingly at it...It wasnt really. It was just an ordinary clock, basically (I was just trying to make it sound interesting in writing but it was just an old, boring ordinary clock).

When you’re so damn bored and waiting for your shift to end, one’s greatest hope is for the time to go flying by. But no. Time felt like it was crawling to the next hour. Time just dragged. One of the worst experiences of work, I must admit. I tried comforting myself with the thought that I am getting paid for this boredom, “hang in there!” so I think to myself.

But then I remembered. Approaching the end of my shift, I screamed in my mind, “I don’t have work tomorrow!” as though I was breaking some big news to a club of people who hate also their job. And I knew that no work tomorrow meant binge night until the early hours of the next morning. And so I set off to make preparations. I would have never thought my binging session would turn out the way it did.

BINGE NIGHT ESSENTIALS

On my way home I stopped by a local supermarket. There I purchased my binge night essentials: soda drinks of varying flavours, packets of randomly-picked flavoured crisps, multiple brands of chocolate bars, a whole bag of Pain au Chocolat and another bag of soft All Butter French croissants. These are enough for me. Actually, it was too much. “But why not reward yourself from a hard day of work,” I wondered? And so I did.

Upon arriving home, I extended my right hand towards the door knob, twisting it so that the door might open. Generating a push force from my arm while twisting the door knob, I was able to open the door in front of me. Scrap this; this is too detailed of a description. Basically, I headed straight to my room, quickly changed my apparel, and then turned the TV on. I then comfortably presented myself before the screen, with my binge night essentials laid out around me, all within my reach. When all was set, I simply pressed play, and off we go binging. By this time it would be almost 10pm. I often come home late because I commute to and from work, some distance in between. Anyways, back to my binge story...

BINGE WE GO!

That night was a memorable late night binge for me. I usually binge until around 01:00 or 02:00am, the latest, the next morning, covering three or four episodes at most, and then carry on binging when I wake up later on that day. But on this night, the series I watched was so awesome I couldn’t help but just click play on every next episode until there was no episodes left to watch. I felt like a kid who cannot resist the cookie presented before him; he must grab it, eat it, right now. That’s how good that series was. It captured me. I could relate to it much. I simply loved it. I even found myself getting annoyed at myself every time I felt like needing to go to the toilet in the middle of the episodes.

Short story even shorter, by the time I finished watching the last episode, daylight has already sprung forth, in full bloom, from the dawn. I then fell asleep at the time I usually wake up on a regular day, 06:00am to be precise. Later on that day, I woke up. It’s after afternoon. I then binged on another series of the same genre.

Now, by this time in my story you’ve probably had enough of me blabbering about my binging experience and just want me to shut up and disclose the TV series I was binging on. Well, I will tell you. But just give me a few more moments, thanks.

The series was simply awesome, to reiterate. It fascinated me with such wholesome knowledge and true-to-life facts and it was presented in such an entertaining and attractive way. “Man Oh man!” I exclaimed, wanting to recommend it to some friends of mine as soon as I can. As I stayed up all night, the show taught me about the importance of sleep and rest. As I munched one by one on the packets of crisps around me, and the chocolate bars, the series taught me about good dieting. I was so blessed by it. It’s a “must watch.” I highly recommend it.

It’s called “Ask the Doctor,” available on Netflix.

Hehe. Surprise you may be? I took much pleasure in being educated in the areas of health from that series and, ironically, so much so that I compromised my own health that evening til the morning (speaking of a hypocrite). Well, that’s why I call it my guilty pleasure binge. But don’t worry, it just occurred a few times. You know, just occassionaly.

Nope, I’m not your typical binging partner who watches the most popular and trendy series out there that everyone else is going on about. I choose my own liking. Remember, keep your guilty pleasure to yourself.