Zinfandels and Other Addictions #AtoZChallenge

I made it to the end, realizing that there are two big things I did not manage to cover so I have to sneak them in the last post. Zinfandel as a stand in for red wines manages to speak to each of these two topics.

The first is pop culture – or those superficial, transitory interests we develop that define a moment, but not a people. Food, drinks, people, things all fall into this category. Think Aperol spritzers, Kim Kardashian and Kale.

The second I will refer to as addictions although that’s not quite right.  Its more the need for external support to enable relaxation, spiritual experience, and escapism that often spill over from them, because we get too reliant on them, because life can get very hard at times. And its easy to reach for something when we hurt.

A great example of how all of this works is the Hunger Games trilogy.   

• In our own world, it became a pop culture icon.
• In the book, the way people dressed, the role of the media, all programmed pop culture as a form of social control in the capital city. Which it is – by telling us what to buy, how to look, and who to follow – its telling us how to belong.
• Haymitch, who mentored Katniss and Peeta, was a drunk when we meet him. He may have survived the Hunger Games, but not the pain of its aftermath.

Your turn.  What’s your favorite escapist addiction? Mine, perhaps no surprise, is red wine. For me, this was a great way to end the A to Z challenge – with a glass in hand.

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