Friday, January 18, 2008

Energy

Five o'clock in a Friday night city centre is a special place. Picking your way across a road filled with snarled up traffic, you can sense a crackle in the air: energy, anticipation, expectation. Already, people are sucking hard on ciggies outside pubs and buskers by escalators advertise their MySpace pages on guitar cases as they seranade commuters with Oasis's best.

As you rush, caught up in the stream of humanity tasting the freedom of the weekend, you think how pleasant it would be if you too were on your way to the pub. You remember other Friday nights after work, fag in one hand, gin and tonic in the other. Friends and drinks and maybe dancing later. Or home to shower and change, TFI Friday on Channel 4, red wine, then out on the town. Bouncing along, buoyed up on the wave carrying you into the weekend; no time to stop to catch your breath.

Now, although I can feel those ripples of energy, they aren't strong enough to support me. I no longer have sufficient oomph of my own to sail into the weekend without stopping. Now at the end of the week, uncorking a bottle of wine is just about my limit.

14 comments:

Beth said...

God - this post so resonates with me. Sometimes when I am coming home late from a meeting in work and I see all the young people spilling out of pubs I have a sense of deja vu and think wow, I used to do that!

But the reality is, I just want to flop and crash on the sofa and watch telly. So sad.

Gill said...

I like to curl up by the fire with a good book nowadays, I enjoyed that weekend vibe when I was younger but I don't miss it.

Gone said...

After a sudden rush to the head I went to the match yesterday which entailed pre and post match drinks. God did I feel old last night on the way to catch the train home.

Anonymous said...

Don't quite understand the relevance of the picture of Sydney Harbour Bridge in this post ?

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

Beth, oh to have the energy ..

Gill, I do miss it sometimes ..

Grocer, did you enjoy it?

:) Anon, you're in the wrong hempishere... that's the view down the River Tyne ..

Expat mum said...

Greetings. What a fab photo - made me very homesick I have to say although I too wouldn't really want to go back to the nights oot. I have to say though that the quay side is a heck of a lot nicer and safer than it was when there was only the Cooperage to go to. Had a few glasses of red wine with the neighbours on Friday night and I'm still paying the price. Pathetic really.

rilly super said...

uncorking a bottle of wine, amen to that M&M

my neighbour has asked me to point out that Sydney harbour bridge and the Tyne bridge were built by the same Middlesbrough company using the same design to different scales. I don't know why he can't do it himself. I think he probably feels a bit like you at the end of the week M&M.

hope things are going well in the new job by the way

Brom said...

It's called getting old.

The good news it's not just you, and it will happen to all the others still doing the Friday night thing. Come on though... I bet you can still party like a goodun?? maybe not quite so often tho!

Whispering Walls said...

At least you're saving on the miniskirts and white stilettos

muddyboots said...

we see all the traffic coming out to the coast at weekends, always a bit of a shock really.

@themill said...

....when's the pension due?

Zig said...

uncorking a bottle of wine? why wait till friday?! I do one every night just to make sure I don't forget how!

Pig in the Kitchen said...

The highlight of my week is the weekend when I can drink without having to worry about a school run with a hangover, and I can fall asleep in front of a DVD. I used to think I might change the world. how the mighty are fallen ;-)
Pigx

Omega Mum said...

I was in a town centre last weekend and the police and I were the only ones over 30 (I'm giving myself a generous margin here, you understand...)