Some rise by sin,

And some by virtue fall.

— Shakespeare, Measure for Measure 11, 1

Life is just not fair, it’s often said, and truth be told, it may seem that way in many people’s lives, as they think that they can’t get a break. Even the above quote alludes to that, as it states that some people flourish even as they sin, while others flounder even as they are virtuous.

George Bernard Shaw did say that overindulgence is its own reward, and virtue its own punishment. So might as well we all overindulge in whatever our favourite vices are and benefit from the rewards that go with them. Why, Shakespeare himself even wrote, “Revel the night, rob, murder and commit the oldest sin, the newest kind of ways.” What a way to live, indulging in all the vices, or at least those that bring you the greatest pleasure.

Some believe in rum, others gambling, while many have as their favourite vice, the art of carnal pleasures. There are many who have smoking as their number one vice, while overindulging in food is the choice vice of many gluttons.

Judge not what vice thy neighbour has, but be aware that most vices are classified as sins, and sinning is a no-no. What is also true is that many, if not all vices tend to have a hold on people, a tenacious tightness, an attractive adhesion, a grievous grip, a vice grip. And we all know how powerful a real vice grip is, once attached, it just won’t let go. This we’ll explore right after some responses to TV or not TV.

Hey Tony,

Your article TV or not TV was a departure from the usual relationship issues, and it took me back to my childhood days in Harbour View and the advent of TV in Jamaica. I was one of the fortunate ones, not because my parents owned a TV set, for they didn’t, but because I had a front seat in your parent’s living room, watching that first black and white set while the horde watched from the gate.

My parents finally got a TV set and I’m sure your parents were glad to get me out of their house where I took up residence almost daily at about 8:00 pm until the National Anthem was played. Those were the good old days.

Wickham J

Toronto, Canada

Hi Teerob,

TV has really taken over our lives, and I wonder who is the most important member of the family. I know that I come a distant second as far as my husband is concerned, especially on the weekends when he’s glued to the screen watching sports. Okay, I admit that I love my soaps and Lifetime movies, so I guess he could say the same thing. But you can see what TV has done, it has almost served as a buffer between some couples. And heaven help them if they don’t enjoy the same programmes. I agree with you about banning the children from watching during school time though, absolutely no TV. Let them read books instead.

Arlene

A vice can be a terrible thing, and when it gets its hold of someone, it’s like a monkey on your back. That’s the term given to addicts who can’t kick their drug habit. “He has a monkey on his back, and he just can’t shake it.” Such is the power of those vices, they often start out as innocuous pursuits but inevitably turn into that proverbial monkey that simply won’t let go.

Let’s take the vice of drinking. Now drinking socially can be pleasurable, plus scientists have even proven that moderate imbibing is actually good for you. The French attest to this, as a glass of red wine every day has proven to cut heart disease considerably. But when alcohol takes a hold of you, turns into a vice that grips your mind, body and soul, then that can be a tragedy. It interferes with all aspects of your life, and as the drunkard said, “If you have a job, and the job interfere with the rum…then leff the job and drink the rum.”

That’s a vice that has touched many souls and destroyed countless families. And even though there are countless organisations, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, that vice continues to have a grip on so many in our society. My late mom used to say that she could live with and tolerate almost any vice, except a man who drank, for a drunkard would do anything. Yes, rum does turn people into demons at times and Shakespeare did say, “O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains!”

Smoking is a vice that I cannot understand, and not only because I have never smoked. I can’t understand what pleasure people get from putting paper and tobacco in their mouths, lighting it, then inhaling the acrid smoke down their lungs. And yet, it brings so much pleasure to millions of people. So much pleasure that after a while it has them in a vice-like grip from which they cannot escape.

Then they turn to all types of remedies and therapy to release them from the python-like coils of smoking. Some never escape the grip. The cigarette companies will not like me, but if I had my way, smoking would not only be banned, but outlawed, as it also brings displeasure, discomfort and disgust to non-smokers.

But it’s big business, and big business will always win over health, good sense and morality. Smoking even affects romance; the very thought of kissing a woman who smokes is abhorrent to me. It’s akin to kissing an ashtray. Combine the two vices of drinking and smoking and you have someone caught in the grip of a double vice. It’s not a pretty sight…or smell.

Now gambling can be pleasurable, and a friendly wager now and then between friends can be fun. But do not let that vice take a hold of you, for not only will you lose your money, but your shirt, your pants, and even your house. I know people who are serious gamblers, and it’s scary just to watch them in action.

Their wives have spoken to me with tears in their eyes as they relate the gambling habits of their husbands, and divulge how many times they’ve had to bail them out. “I have lost count of how many times I’ve had to fork over thousands of dollars to cover his gambling debts and I am sick of it.” Some people have lost it all, as they tread the rocky road of rack and ruin, all because of the vice of gambling.

The church has a sort of selective morality towards gambling, as it accepts some forms but is against others. Bingo and Lotto seem to be fine, but for some reason, casino gambling is a no-no. That I can never understand, but who am I to question the wisdom of the theologians?

Did you know that shopping in excess is also a vice? And to take it even further, excessive use of credit cards is classified as a disorder right up there with alcoholism, drug addiction and gambling. Therapy is required to pry that monkey off their backs. Oh yes, there are women who are shopaholics and have no control over their urges to enter stores and shop until they drop, or buy stuff online until their credit cards erupt in flames from spontaneous combustion.

Just ask any husband who lives with someone who has such a vice and hear the horror stories, complete with the financial ruin that this vice brings. Men suffer from it, too, but statistics have shown that it’s a vice dominated mostly by women. They buy things even though they do not need them, as the sheer joy of shopping brings them pleasure.

Even the love of too much food is classified as a vice, and many people can’t help themselves when it comes to food. Just look around at the obese people and you’ll see what I mean. They eat for the sheer pleasure of eating and overindulge most of the time. Gluttons. And yes, gluttony, is called as a sin in the Bible.

I once heard someone say that they had no visible vices, but perhaps it’s the invisible ones that are most dangerous. Aha, yes, there are people who have vices that can only be detected under the cloak of darkness. You know that I couldn’t leave out that vice that brings pleasure and pain at the same time. They even named an entire police department after it, as the vice squad in the USA is huge and always kept very busy.

Yes, the pursuit of sex can grip some people that not even a monkey on their backs can compare to. That’s the vice that lets men do crazy and stupid things even as they give the impression of bravado, when it’s merely gross stupidity on their part. They stay out late at night, take extreme risks, have unsafe sex, all because of this vice.

Many women suffer because of the grips that this vice has on their men, and many families have been destroyed. Countless theories have been put forth why this vice grips so many men in our society. But the layman sums it up when he says. “Man is just bad…that’s all.”

In rare cases it may be sex addiction, but surely, in most cases it’s just a vice that has placed a stranglehold and refuses to let go. There are men who are hooked on buying prostitutes and are as drawn to them as an alcoholic is to rum. Women can’t get away with this vice, as society does not accept it, and the names are less than flattering.

Maybe in order to curb these vices, the Bible tacked on the rider of sin beside them, hoping that people would be reluctant to indulge for fear of eternal damnation. But they are committed nevertheless for they bring so much pleasure to those affected. So it just may be true: overindulgence might just be it’s own reward, and virtue its own punishment. Does a vice have a grip on you?

More time.

seido1@hotmail.com

Footnote: I am no food expert, but I know what I like, and besides taste, good service is paramount. I discovered a little restaurant on Central Avenue in Kingston named Sonia’s that’s a blast from the past. It’s simple, not fancy, and you would drive right by without even noticing. But the food is simply divine and it’s all Jamaican. But what impressed me was the level of service by the staff as they brought a real old-time, full-of-manners, genuine pleasantries to their job. I had to ask for the owner to tell her, and when I met her I could see why. She is an unassuming woman who told me that she started over 30 years ago with just $49. Now she spends all her time in the kitchen, and it shows, as the hands-on approach motivates and inspires her staff.

Now this is a good old-time Jamaican restaurant that has no fancy frills or airs, but is a genuine treasure.