Burdens
"Pabuhat po." That's what gamers usually new to the game tell other gamers who've been at it for longer. "Pabuhat po," "carry me," meaning, "Help me reach a decent enough level where I can at least make it on my own." Usually said as a joke, or sometimes even meant, and sometimes taken up by those kind or bored or both enough to actually do it. In RAN, the MMORPG I played for quite a while, it translated to "boosting," where you and your fellow-newbies hang around high-level players and form a party, and the XP they get killing mobs get cumulatively but proportionately distributed to everyone. In life, though, it translated to having substance use disorders, and, weirdly, dependence on depression. Can't get out of bed? No purpose in so doing? Ah, you're depressed, let that be the reason and the remainder of your day. No need for pabuhat — you can lay there and rot and still be justified enough to live. I know this is un...