In costume

How do you handle those mornings when you go to work feeling half dead, half a sleep, half drank and with a hang over kickin in because you were out way past your bed time the previous night? How do you sit in the office with the constant chatter of your colleagues making the head ache worse while trying to keep your mouth closed and breathing light so that the person on the other side of the room does not smell the alcohol in you? By the way how is it that on such morning it doesnt matter how hard you brush your teeth and tongue, how many times you rinse your mouth or how heavy a breakfirst you eat, the stink never goes away. Pengine, the stench is uko in the small intestines. How do you talk to your boss knowing you will see his mouth move but not understand the words coming out of it.

On such days I borrow from Mohammed Ali's concept of 'being in costume' which he describes in his autobiography. Ali's most famous bout was the rumble in the jungle. George Foreman, Ali's opponent, was nearly 10 years younger, was known for being ferocious, and packing the heaviest of punches. Ali had been stripped of his boxing licence and the world heavy weight champion belt around 8 years before coz he refused to get conscripted into the army which meant that in addition to being in his mid thirties he had not been involved in professional bouts for a few years. But Ali had one advantage experience. Apparently George Foreman had not fought more than 6 rounds by then since none of his previous opponents could take his heavy blows. Ali's strategy was to push Foreman past the seven round and then taking him out. The major problem with this strategy was how to deal with the Foreman's blows. Ali knew that no matter how fast he moved and shielded himself a few would get through his defences. And when one of them hits home, he will get disoriented drop his defences and then Foreman would make mince him out of him.

Which is where the costume comes in. Ali had been hit many times in his career and from experience he had learnt how to live in the hazy, drunken, seeing double world that a fighter gets into when he is hammered nicely. This world was his second home, and he knew that when he got there he would have to do things a bit differently infact become a different person. So he had a special costume for this world, a costume that allowed him to keep dancing like a butterfly and sting like a bee while in dream land.

Inspired by Ali's costume I'v also gon out and got me a special costume for the morning following some serious mid week drinking. This costume has served me well over the years, I manage to get to work without causing an accident, stand infront of a class and have reasonable stuff coming out of my mouth, attend the most boring meeting without dozing off, have coherent conversations e.t.c

I hope my costume will serve me well today coz enyewe ni kubaya.