I never set out to stop drinking. I like beer and wine, and I drank almost every weekend in college and beyond. I'd sit down a beer when I'd start writing. I'd drink at writer's group when they were still serving...
I'd tailed off over the years, because I married a non-drinker. But I'd still get a buzz on late at night, sometimes. I found it valuable in that it knocked me out of my ruts, sometimes, gave me a slightly different perspective. And it often crystallized for me what was most important at the moment.
Still, in my early 40's, I decided to take a year break from drinking to see if it changed anything.
It didn't seem to change much, or so I thought.
It wasn't until I went back to drinking occasionally that I noticed something.
I would often feel either emotionally and socially vulnerable for a few days after, or I would have a much shorter temper.
It didn't seem to matter whether I drank one or two beers or a full six-pack. The results were the same.
And my sleep patterns would be totally disrupted if I drank more than one or two days in a row.
So every time I would think about drinking, I would ask myself: Are you in the clear for the next few days as far as anything challenging?
The answer, since I work most days, is almost always .....No. I'm not in the clear.
I hold the thought of drinking in my head for a few moments, and then it passes, and the next day I'm usually glad I didn't do it.
Lately, I've even been turning down the offer of a beer or a glass of wine at family dinners and gathering, which was pretty much the last place I was doing it.
Oh, I'll probably still drink a bit a few times of year. I drank at New Year's, for instance.
But it seems like I hardly drink at all, and I never set out to do that.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
You seem to be unusually sensitive to alcohol. It's probably just as well that you don't drink.
Homer you died, why you return from BendDead(tm) ??
I think having your blog terminated is killing Ned, can you please resurrect your blog so Ned can get his life back?
So many comic characters so little time.
Hell yes, before 40 drink, after 40 drink only when not working, after quit working? Only drink to pass time while waiting to die.
See Ned if you retired you could have more time for drinking. This damn comic-life of yours is interfering with your drinking life.
I agree after 40, it just seems that drinking and max-performance don't mix, its a damn shame about youth.
Ditto-Head's: HBM can you comment about these Rush Limbaugh Pug's?
See we can talk about things other than Bend Paralysis and economic collapse. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and its at a funeral home.
Home how about that CACB?
Bart
" think having your blog terminated is killing Ned, can you please resurrect your blog so Ned can get his life back?"
Good thing it's had no effect on you, huh Buster?
"You seem to be unusually sensitive to alcohol."
Could be.
I read once that people who have high tolerance are much more likely to become alcoholic.
Doesn't seem to run in our family.
"Home how about that CACB?"
Up 6% this morning.
Who would invest now?
People are playing this stock -- knowing they don't pay the piper until Friday.
"I read once that people who have high tolerance are much more likely to become alcoholic."
I'm not sure that's true; Asians and American Indians have notoriously low tolerance and are notoriously prone to alcoholism.
When I first started drinking I had very low tolerance. After about 10 years of practice I had enormous tolerance ... although I don't think it's necessarily a matter of "tolerance" so much as learning how to handle it.
Now I find my tolerance, or whatever, is much lower than it was. Two or three drinks and I'm through. I no longer enjoy the buzz.
I have a couple of glasses of wine every day, though, because (a) I like it and (b) it's good for me.
Post a Comment