Tapping Into The Past

As the world continued to change due to COVID-19, it felt nearly impossible to find work. The freelancing market had become extremely oversaturated, with each freelancer undercutting the next one’s prices. It seemed a bidding war for who could do the work the cheapest, and with millions of people online offering the same services that I provided, I found myself in a constant state of depression, unable to deal with the current situation. The little money I did get, I used to drink, as that was the one thing I always had money for. I’d pick up a few tall cans of Coors from the store, sit in front of my TV and continue tapping into the past, going down the rabbit hole of classic cinema, gaming, and music. I held onto the belief that something would click inside me, and I’d be able to change overnight. The more I drank, the more I dug, and the more I found myself in this vicious cycle. The dim glow of the TV screen was my only source of light as I slouched on my couch, my vision blurred by the alcoholic haze that filled my world. I held the Amazon FireStick remote in my hand like a magic wand, waving it back and forth in a futile attempt to summon some semblance of inspiration or hope. My living room had become a battleground where I waged war against my own demons, fighting to hold onto the life I had built for myself. Empty beer cans piled up in the trash like discarded shells, a testament to the desperation I felt within. The sound of each can cracking open echoed through the empty room, a haunting reminder of my isolation and despair. I combed through various apps on my Amazon FireStick, seeking the high-quality content from the past that I knew and loved. The nostalgia of classic movies and TV shows was a double-edged sword; on one hand, it brought me temporary comfort, a connection to simpler times when my dreams seemed within reach. On the other, it only served to remind me of how far I had fallen from the person I used to be. The flickering images of legendary actors and musicians played across the screen, their faces a tapestry of talent and triumph that seemed to mock me in my current state. I drank from my Coors can, the cold metallic taste a sharp contrast to the warm flood of memories that engulfed me as I navigated through the digital archives of my youth. The alcohol fueled a sense of delusion, a belief that if I just kept watching, something would trigger within me and propel me back into the world of the living. But with each passing scene, with each familiar song, the realization set in that the magic of the past couldn’t save me from my present circumstances.