A Simple Conversation

the shadow of a person in a boardroom

Written by, Michael J.

A fellow’s post reminded me of a simple conversation I had this morning with the love of my life. It was about how taking something non-narcotic to help me sleep only works if I take it about once a month. If taken more often than that, it does nothing.

That simple conversation awakened Little Addict, who fidgets in the dark corner of my internal boardroom.

Little Addict softly whispered, “Remember how leaving pot alone for a few weeks made that first high so good?”

Little Addict stood and spoke a little louder, “You’re able to accept not sleeping well for weeks, knowing you will get a good night’s sleep soon.”

As Little Addict approached, he said louder, “If you can leave the sleeping aids alone for a month, surely you can leave the weed alone just as long.”

Then Little Addict rose on his toes and shouted in my face, “You could do that! You could get high once a month!!!”

I looked around the boardroom. All the other voices were silent, except one. That one voice said, firmly, and clearly, with no shout to add to its truth,

“Bullshit.”

That was the voice of the part of me that loves me. That is the voice that a power greater than myself placed within me. I listened to that voice.

Published in A New Leaf – February 2026

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