By Jonathan Kavanagh

Ah January, large bills, a grand stretch in the evenings and an on-going struggle with those New Year resolutions. Bad habits are hard to break. A very early memory sees me face a tough challenge. It appears to be an ordinary day. I play with my toys as my mother goes about her household chores. All seems well but I am about to be taught one of life’s harshest lessons; that we live in a transient world where nothing lasts forever. My ever-present emotional crutch, a bright blue soother/pacifier is attached to my jumper by a piece of string. I reach for it as many times before whereupon it disintegrates into a collection of particles, leaving me with nothing but the string and a broken heart. There isn’t a spare one in the house and due to a health issue, my mother is unable to take me for a new one. The day seems to last forever as all house rules are suspended and I am bribed with biscuits, red lemonade and stories in a failed attempt to quell my tears and ease my withdrawal symptoms. After a hard day toiling in the fields of Fingal my father arrives home to the unexpected turmoil. He is practically forced fed his dinner and despatched forthwith into Swords town on his bicycle to procure a replacement for my great loss. In a record time that makes the leader of the Tour De France look like the winner of a slow bicycle race, he is back with an expression of achievement and an outstretched hand containing a new shiny soother. I rise to my full height, look at the soother with distain, display an expression of disbelief and say I don’t want THAT! I have inadvertently gone cold turkey and overcome the first of many vices I will encounter along the path of life.