Drinking epidemic in our business?

You look at drinking the same way I look at religion.

 

My step-grandmother used to drink about a beer a day. Would open one, take the odd sip or two out of the refrigerator throughout the day.

It was obviously not for the purpose of getting hammered. It probably helped her healthwise ... I didn't my hyper-intensity or overstressed outlook from her.

My father, OTOH, did drink. Quite a lot. Cost him his marriage, and me my father.

Then people wonder how religious I am when I don't drink while out with co-workers and such. I don't because I saw first-hand what it did to my father. I have enough faults without adding drinking to excess to the list ...

 

Everything in moderation.
I hate hangovers, that's why I get trashed rarely if ever.
Plus, as you get older, it takes a little longer to recover.
Next weekend, I'm going to a beer fest, $25, a 6-oz. cup, three hours to hit as many booths and sample their product.
My friends and I are still trying to figure out who's going to drive.

 

My friend had an uncle who drank as many as 40 beers in a single night in his prime. When I met the guy, he was down to about 15 or so on most nights. When he hit 70, that fell to about a six-pack. He died a few months ago. I'm not sure of the cause, but he had battled problems with his stomach for several years.

He was the nicest guy you could meet. He gave neighbors money when times were tough. He cooked enough food for an army and handed containers of chili and Ziplock bags of BBQ pork sandwiches to everyone who visited.

I knew he was an alcoholic, but I never saw it as a problem in his life. Sure, he may have acted differently had he been sober all the times I visited him. But I never really wished that he was sober.

So, I don't have a problem with people who choose to drink like fish.

That said, it's never been my thing. I went through my early 20s party phase, and then other things took precedence. Today, my family is my first priority, and I can't help but wonder how many husbands and wives and kids are neglected by those who drink.

My friend didn't have any kids, and his wife never seemed to be bothered by his drinking. But is that the case for everyone? In our profession, a lot of loved ones are going to be tucked in and asleep when we do most of our drinking. Therefore, I'm not sure it's much of an issue. The question, I guess, is whether alcohol controls your life or is just a part of it.

 

I don't have a problem with people who drink. To each his/her own.

I have a big, big, BIG problem with people who drink and drive.

 

What she said.

 

Thanks, captain obvious

 

I don't like murderers. They are bad.

 

Unfortunately, 20,000 highway deaths every year seem to confirm that it's difficult to separate the two.

Drinking = impared perception and awareness.

Impared perception and awareness = an inability to know whether you are fit to drive.

And since there aren't 106,000 taxis waiting to take people home from a college football game, it's obvious that a lot of people are drinking and driving.

 

I don't know if my staff is the norm. I know we do provide a unique perspective, because for the most part, we all grew up together from the late 20s to now, when most of us are late 40s.

15-20 years ago, five or six of us would cut out to the bar at 12:30 a.m. 4-5 times a week and drink a good bit until 2:30, loading up at 1:45 last call. I would probably drink a pitcher myself (now, I'm a pretty big guy, so take that into consideration. Still.)

But as people settled into family life, the group hitting the bar got smaller and went out less often, maybe once or twice a week.

About 6 or 7 years ago, it began to dawn on me that I'd rather be home at that time. Safe, warm and watching TV until bed. The only police stop of my life for a breathalyzer one Friday night (which I passed, but I easily could have failed) also helped that decision along dramatically.

Others had home situations where they needed to at least be functional in the morning to help get the kids ready for school.

We don't go out as a group anymore. About the only times we drink together are when we golf or our annual bowling tournament. And myself, I've progressed to the point where I generally can't stomach enough beer to get drunk if I wanted to. If I go out to dinner, it's one beer at the start, and maybe a second with the meal, and I usually don't finish the second.

 

For my views, you should probably check my baseline.

I drink regularly, in fact have a beer next to me as I type this. But I haven't gotten comepletly blotto for a number of years now. I'll drink anything, as long as it tastes good. G and T, V and T, scotch, good beer. Love a nice bottle of wine with dinner.

I was brought up to respect alcohol, my parents let me and my siblings have a glass of wine with Sunday lunch once we reached double digits in age, and I appreciate that they educated me rather than let me figure it out for myself.

 

"You look at drinking the same way I look at religion."

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this, but OK.

And Buckweaver, I'm not doubting that some alcohol may be good for you. Getting falling-down drunk, as was my point, is never going to be good for you. And as for the Prohibition crack, I never asked anyone to stop drinking, and certainly don't think it's feasible to mandate it to the masses. Talk about twisting words.