Booze:

avatar
(Edited)

What a catchy title, right? I know you are wondering what this can possibly be about.

Well, dear reader, I'm glad you asked. I will get right into it. These are topics that most adult males and I suppose some women are familiar with. Much like my podcast, I promised to be raw and honest. Well, here we go.  I was a sailor, as some of you may know. Boy, did I drink like one. Along with my other gear in the sea bag I was issued in boot camp, I was also gifted a bent elbow and an insatiable thirst. Apparently there was an inherent ability to seek out drink specials and any alcohol within 50 feet of any given location, much like a bloodhound on the trail of some villain.

Now, I am in no way blaming good Ole Uncle Sam. Nor am I saying he is blameless. Growing up, at every family gathering, party, etc., there was alcohol. I thought it was a normal part of life. What did I know? I am not saying it was something we had to have. It was sort of there, ya know?  Maybe that's where I got it? Nature vs. nurture and all that. My first beer was probably around 16. Not peer pressure per se but more of a "here try this" sort of thing. At first, I hated it. I thought, "How can anyone like this crap?”  I wish now, looking back, I had stuck with that attitude. Fast forward a few years and I was in Charleston. My roommate took me to the place where he would shoot pool and come home with a good amount of money. Thanks for all the free food, Daniel! The name of the place was the Winchester Social Club. The owner was a sweet older lady that never had an issue with us hanging out there and shooting pool. My first few trips I just ordered a soda. I wasn't brave enough to push my luck and try to drink. That changed one night when the owner asked if I wanted something stronger. At first, like any teen trying to get over, I bluffed and said I was older than I was. She called me on my bs and said as long as I never ratted her out, I could drink there. A beautiful friendship was formed. We had a safe place to drink that was also close enough to walk to and lord knows, many a night I wobbled home. Also, it gave her loyal customers in the form of sailors with more money than smarts. Win/Win right? Well, almost.  About the same time, within a few months anyway, I was going through my first divorce as well. The sub was in off crew mode and for the first month, I only had to report to the office for training etc. That's a lot of free time. So, my daily routine became waking up around noon, eating something, and walking to the bar where I would spend several hours and go home for dinner. Usually, I would go back for round 2 and stay ‘til closing time. I am not proud of this phase of my life, but here we are. This went on for a while and I am happy to report it never affected my work life. Sure, there was the occasional hangover. I was young and somewhat more resilient than I am now.

Jump ahead a few more years. I always maintained that I would stop if the drinking affected my work. It didn't until it did. The night before a command inspection a few friends and I really tied one on. The next morning I got a phone call from my boss asking if we were coming to work. What a sight! Three hungover guys running down the pier and making it onto the ship just in time for the inspection. After that I went and talked to him. We decided that going through the Navy was not the best choice. I didn't want that on my record forever. So, between a few AA meetings and whatnot, I mostly put it behind me. I had some close calls. Now, I am pretty much alcohol free. I went from a 6 pack or two over a weekend to 1 beer a month or less. Mostly less.

Is everyone who drinks an alcoholic? I don't personally think so.

According to this article. "Alcoholism, now known as alcohol use disorder, is a condition in which a person has a desire or physical need to consume alcohol, even though it has a negative impact on their life."

Have I ever been in that position? Yes. It used to be I wouldn't drink before noon. There is a certain amount of truth in the song, "It's five o'clock somewhere.” My former pastor’s opinion on the subject was if it takes ten drinks to make you drunk, then at 1 drink you're one tenth drunk. I disagree, but that's just me. Is drinking a sin? I'm not sure. The bible is full of references to wine. I get it. It seems to have been very popular back then. If you feel you have a problem, seek out help whether it's AA meetings or a professional counselor. It can be a very serious problem. Without help, it only gets worse. I know all about that first hand.

I would be remiss if I didn't include at least a few resources:

This one is from the US Dept of Health and Human Services. Another great resource can be found here. A quick google search should result in more local resources for you. AA did not work for me. Your results may vary. The thing is not every resource will work for everyone. You should try many different options. There is not a one size fits all solution for this.

As always, just my .02¢ worth. YMMV!

Craig



0
0
0.000
0 comments