Catharsis and Ranting

The other day, I went out with a couple of friends to a bar. This isn't out of the ordinary. However, this occasion saw the group of us there for many hours. The reason? We live to rant, share, and otherwise exchange words with one another. The ranting is not of the raving, enraged variety, but is instead that cool, calculated logical approach to explaining why there is a particular dislike or criticism to the object of conversation.

The conversation moves from one interest to the next, as conversations invariably do, and the type that we are passionate about show through. Ranting about movies, comic books, politics, work, economic conditions, etc. The lovely thing about bar culture, which seems to be almost universally true, is the ability to drink, relax, and share stories over a pint or two. This culture of sharing and exchanging information, including the occasional rant, somehow always leads to catharsis for the patrons.

The ability to forget the woes of life, even if for only a few hours, and just enjoy the company, the stories, and the ranting and railing, makes a bar a wonderful place. Now I don't say this as an advocate of going out and getting drunk to solve your problems. This last occasion, I didn't even have anything besides water. However, the culture and feel of the bar didn't change one bit. I was among friends and the conversation flowed. The evening was so well spent that we were there until early in the morning without notice. The relaxation and conversation were stimulation enough to bring about the old adage, "Time flies when you're having fun." This is why bars and pubs continue to pull people in. The magic is in the people and the culture. The libations can never compete on their own and that is the way it should be.

Until next time, dear reader.