DRINKING RESPONSIBLY

                                                

I use Facebook to socialize with my friends and family, and for the most part, it’s good. Oh, once in a while someone will get on a rant and say things they shouldn’t, and use bad language because that makes them appear tough to talk that way. But all the good things that get said seem to far outnumber the trash. Yesterday though, someone posted a YouTube video about crazy drunk moments. Now I’m not a prude, and I do drink socially, but I don’t get drunk because I’ve seen too many sad things that happen with the abuse of alcohol. Puking on your shoes wasn’t one of them. So, here are some of my not-so-funny drunk moments.

As firefighters, we were called to a personal injury accident one dark night. It seemed an intoxicated man, who was driving home from one of the local watering holes, had crossed the centerline at a high rate of speed, and hit a family of four, head on. All were wearing their seatbelts, but the force of the collision pushed the light truck’s engine into the passenger compartment, killing both parents. In the back seat in their car seats were two young children, now orphans, crying and asking for their now dead mother. That was just one of the numerous accidents that I went to where drinking was the cause. There were others just as sad, and some sadder, and the ironic thing was, even though you didn’t want anyone hurt or killed, the drunks usually weren’t the ones who got hurt or killed.

In my own family, out of seven siblings there are three I would classify as alcoholics. One of them drank himself almost to death. By the grace of God, he has quit and is recovering. Out of the grandkids, several of them have serious drinking problems. All of this from a set of founding parents who didn’t drink. What lies ahead for most of them? More not-so-funny drunken moments or personal tragedies. Times are tough right now, and if you talk to any of the drinkers, they will tell you that. But, somehow, there is always money for the booze or beer. My dad always said, “If you want to go in business, make sure it’s one people find essential,” and he said, “Liquor stores are right at the top of the list.” I see all of the trucks and cars parked outside of the local watering holes, and I know there are a lot of people in there being responsible, and having fun, and that’s not what this is about. But there are also some in there who send their wives to the food shelf, and then let them sit home on Friday night with the kids, while they drink. More not-so-funny drunk moments.

We have banned smoking everywhere but in your own biffy. We have a war on drugs. It hasn’t done any good—but we have one. But drinking seems to be something that’s here to stay. We tried prohibition once, and it didn’t work.

The movies and television glorify it; even the University of Minnesota if you can’t stand the team, lets you get pickled, at the football games. The town of Crosslake, where I live, has more liquor stores than any other kind of business, so there is no sense in getting on a soapbox about that. All I am asking is this—that we be responsible. By that I mean, don’t drink and drive. Don’t drink if you are having money problems. Don’t drink if you get mean or abuse your family. You can have fun without drinking. I do. There really are no funny drunk moments.