IN MY SHOES: The Alcohol Rub
Author Susan Cheever, daughter of novelist John Cheever, explains why she doesn’t drink:
I know the savage, destructive power of alcoholism. It’s a soul stealer. Yet, there’s a mischievous part of me that misses all that extreme behavior, all those nasty but somehow amusing surprises, all that glamor even when so much of it ended in pain, institutions and early death. For us sober people there is a kind of drunkenfreude to watching others embarrass themselves, mangle their words and do things they will regret in the morning - if they even remember them in the morning. …
There are certainly moments when it is embarrassing not to drink. A friend will start to pour me a glass of wine and then apologize profusely. At a party someone will notice my club soda and decide to make an issue of it. Why can’t I just have a little white wine? But there were many more embarrassing moments when I did drink, and that’s what watching other people get drunk helps me remember. For me, the psychology is often in reverse. I learn from seeing what I don’t want and avoiding it, rather than from seeing what I do want and aspiring to it.
It's interesting to see there are no comments on a subject with some certain relevance at this time of year.
I applaud MS Cheever, and have a certain empathy for her when in company of those who are imbibing, but who have not yet learned tolerance for the decisions others have made.
I choose to enjoy many types of alcoholic beverages, but once I know you choose not to, I'll offer to buy, or otherwise provide, you with the Club Soda, etc., that you choose to drink.
Gee, tolerance for the decisions of others, whether in choice of food and drink, politics, Religion, life style, etc. Wow!! What a concept!!
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