Anyone who knows me knows that I don't drink alcohol, but I'm not sure that everyone who knows me knows how strongly I feel about my decision to not drink. My choosing to not drink is based on much more than just not enjoying the taste of alcohol or not enjoying being drunk itself. I have deep unshakable moral objections to alcohol itself, the people who create and distribute it, and the society that condones it, encourages it, and accepts it.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I got drunk a few times and I can honestly say that it was a lot of fun. I had reservations about drinking before that and I definitely passed on a lot of opportunities to try drinking, but at the time I hadn't yet figured out how I felt about the subject of drinking. As a kid, I used to go to AA meetings with my mother. For me, those meetings meant free doughnuts, but for her, they meant much more. I'm not sure if any of the stuff I heard there in those meetings had any long lasting affects on me, especially since I barely remember anything except the doughnuts. But I think that what I heard there may have had the subtle affect of teaching me that alcohol is something that causes problems to some people. That and the fact that before I was born, my mother lost her brother to problems from drinking. Like I said, I didn't necessarily take those things into consideration when I was deciding for myself if I was a drinker or not, but I think subtly I have always been taught that drinking is something that can cause a lot of problems.
Up until a few years ago, I used to take sips of my friends drinks just to taste them. Sometimes it was just to serve as a reminder of how terrible beer and other drinks tasted, sometimes it was to sample some sort of drink that I'd never had. A few years ago I decided that I wouldn't even sip off of a drink that had alcohol in it. I felt sort of hypocritical of my decision to not drink, even though I knew I wasn't being judged by anyone but myself. Now I've made a lifelong commitment to never drink any alcohol for any reason, even if it's just a sip. It's my way of protesting alcohol as a societal right of passage or something that is expected of me. Someone recently said to me (or something to the affect of) "buy a fucking beer, that's what adults do" when I complained that the bar that I was at had no soda. I don't hold anything against the person who said it, but it offended me probably more than he ever would have thought it would. It's this sort of mindset that I've spent most of my life trying to avoid.
I know that people are responsible for their own lives and decisions. But as a group, I think we've more than proved that we can't handle our privileges with alcohol. One of the greatest days of my life would be the day that all alcohol was banished from the earth. Everyone would be left scratching their heads about what to do on Friday and Saturday nights, or when they get laid off, or their girlfriend dumps them, etc etc etc etc etc. The sad thing is that I know that that would never ever happen. People are so addicted mentally, physically, and attitude-ly(made up word) to their alcohol, and they couldn't go on without it.
Not me though, I'd be fine.
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good for you Tim on your decision, great post. Everyone has their limits on how much they'll do of something.
ReplyDeleteLike me & weed, I made a pact with myself, that I'll only do it on vacation when my "real life" will not be affected. Some people can just have a few drinks to unwind and call it quits, some have to keep drinking until they puke in the laundry hamper and pee in the closet. And I used to get the same thing at the Thirsty Fox about only ordering a Cola, some nights you just don't wanna drink. I too had to go to AA with my Dad as a kid. Grant me the serenity and all that ish...
Booze wasn't for me. It stole nearl 15 yrs of my life. All those years where the crew was together is a blur(cliche). Those days will never be back and every day I think about it. Thats why I'm so bitter, mean, & spiteful. I wanted to quit for at least 5 yrs before it happened. I'm addicted to candy now.
ReplyDeleteI take it back, Brain Anderson is THE FUCKING MAN and a hero of mine, I was just trying to demonstrate blind hatered over something that isn't bad at all when you look at it in right light... like drinking a glass of red wine once a day
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't call my hatred towards alcohol blind. And anything could look good in the right light, but you're glass of red wine once a day isn't worth what that same substance can do to people and their families. Enjoy your red wine, but don't pull the wool over your eyes and ignore the fact that alcohol is poisen and causes much more harm than good.
ReplyDeletea lot of things are poisons in large amounts! like the sun. now im afraid to go outside :(
ReplyDeleteanderson schmanderson. chris senns been slappying rails since the golden days and jerret berrys been gettin down on the get down yo. sk8 or die. i'll eat the sun
ReplyDelete