[STPL] 18-19 Season Round 1 - Page 6

My name is Oliver "roegi" Chen and I am an alcoholic. Something about saying that statement gives me a better high than any sort of substance ever has. There's something incredibly freeing in finally admitting the truth.

Because of the things I did to avoid living, I hurt a lot of people close to me. I abused the love of friends and family, and when they tried to pull me from the darkness, I would do my best to escape their embrace. I made up stories and flat-out lied to hide the truth. I even managed to convince myself that I didn't have a problem.

And the biggest liar is the alcohol itself. It promises a respite from the pain, but somehow only manages to make things worse. Drinking, for me, always began with a manageable intoxication, a comforting warmth, but the pleasant buzz would rise seemingly uncontrollably into an overwhelming cacophony of chaos.

My descent into alcoholism was almost imperceptible. It started as a couple nights out with my buddies. I was just blowing off steam, having a night out with the pals. And for a time, that was all that it was. But the warm embrace of intoxication was too tempting for me to resist. Alcohol whispered sweet promises of blissful freedom; it made me feel invincible, and soon I was drinking every day just to take off the edge.

Looking back I can see that my life was being ripped apart, piece by broken piece. But that's the funny thing about addiction - it gives you a myopic view of the world. I could only see a few days in the past. And I couldn't see anything in the future. My world slowly shrank, and soon the only thing on my mind was where I could find my next drink.

I used to have dreams and aspirations. I had money saved so I could go to Korea some day. I was going to push BoxeR back into the glamorous world of competitive Brood War, and after some training he was going to win another title. He'd consider retirement at that point, riding out on a wave of glory. But instead, with a fresh trophy in hand, Lim Yo Hwan would try to broker a peace agreement between North and South Korea. Things would go well at first, but Kim Jong Un would invite BoxeR to North Korea and kidnap him to keep as his personal Brood War slave. North and South Korea would begin a series of "friendly" Brood War competitions, with BoxeR at the helm of the North Korean team. It'd make international news, and Brood War would be propelled back into the limelight.

But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. BoxeR's future as Brood War's savior is a tale for another time.

My name is Oliver "roegi" Chen and I am an alcoholic. Thank you for listening to my story.