It was bound to come up sooner or later. I am attending university now, and I am very aware that more than a few of my classmates in high school drank regularly. Alcohol has long permeated the cultures which I live in. Still, it is something I do not partake in, though I have wondered what I would be like were I drunk. I always assumed that I would end up depressed in some corner. Tonight, I feel like putting those reasons down.
Pre-eminently, I do not enjoy the taste. My grandfather brews his own beer, and I am fairly certain that he was offering me drinks of his latest batch before I was in kindergarten. I guess beer has one of those acquired tastes, and, as a child, I never had any desire to acquire it. As I have grown older, I have tried his beer on multiple occasions, I have tasted schnaps and had some wine and champagne, and none of their tastes appeal to me.
I do believe that this is something I could overcome were it not for the second reason. I am deathly afraid of giving up my self-control, something I have heard that alcohol mitigates. This particular fear goes back to elementary school. I did stupid, cruel, unnecessary things then. I freely admit that I do not so much like the person I was, so I changed. I cultivated a will that would hold these impulses that I was ashamed of in check. That is something I am simply unwilling to throw away.
Concerning self-control and will power, it is a theory of mine (take as much heed of it as you want to seeing as intoxication is something that has never happened to me) that people drink to give up responsibility. They want an excuse to do certain things, and alcohol provides that excuse, a way to deal with otherwise inconvenient inhibitions. Personally, I believe that inhibitions are normally in place for a good reason, and, if not, then it is far healthier in the long run to deal with them in sobriety than to get drunk.
There you have it then. The preaching of some jerk college student.
The Return
9 years ago
Posts
1 comment:
Hey man, Patrick here, I completely understand and agree. Losing my self-control in a situation I can't control is also one of my biggest fears as well. And I also agree with you its more the culture than anything. Personally, I think that prohibition had something to do with it. Once you make something illegal, it unluckily often becomes more desirable. Also, it becomes a mark of rebellion and individualism (two characteristics of the "American psyche") to break the law. For whatever reason, I lament quite often that it has become the mark of age and wisdom these days to poison yourself and do stupid things half-consciously while being poisoned. If you haven't heard it, listen to a song "Masterpiece" by Bayside. It may not be your style of music but I think you will agree with the sentiment. Anyway, good job with the post and I'll talk to you later amigo.
PS: Changing yourself when you dont' like who you are is very impressive. I wish I had the willpower to do so....
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