Yes, don't drink and stalk kids. I did and look what happened to me. Left alone in the woods to be shrapnel buggered by the army in the middle of the night, that's what. (The poster is obviously an idealised representation, of course. As if a stalker would use a knife and fork.)
I've discussed old habits dying hard before (usually followed by you dying quickly), but it's difficult not to dwell on what's been learned, what could have been learned, what kinds of personal growth one can take away from a situation of another embarassing ignominious defeat by taking on board and actualising any factors arising in view of taking a positive perspective going forward.
If that sounds like bollox, it's because it is. Not just for the way it's written either. I'm thinking more and more that there's a point to these Zone dwellers being a bit detached. One that goes beyond being computer game NPCs of limited interactivity. No, somewhere behind all that there's an understanding of how to live at the whims of capricious fate without going nuts.
That moment when it all goes horribly wrong and you have to make one of a number of choices, there's likely to be a couple of good reasonable options. Any of which might just put you in line for something just as bad or worse. Ducking that bullet just makes sure the dog to your left bites you in the face instead of the arse. Maybe the guy would have missed. Who knows.
...
Actually, now that I think about it, I've kinda made it difficult to make any decisions at all with that logic.
Rather than try and think that through I'll just start again. Drinking in the Zone: Bad.
It's 5:53 on 5-1-2012
Sidorovich sends me out into the world in search of the flashdrive again. The weather is looking really nice this morning, for a change. With any luck it'll stay that way.
