Measure the Cost
March 19th marked an unusual anniversary for me.
Eighteen years ago on that very day, I drank my last drop of alcohol.
Yes, it’s true. I am a tee-totaller. But before you declare me intolerant of those who drink, please hear my full story and how I came to the conviction of no longer drinking.
I never was a big drinker. I really didn’t like to put any substances in my body which would have inhibited my intellect or athletic abilities. I never tried any illegal drugs, and I especially abstained from alcohol when I was playing football. (I played high school and college ball.)
However, in the off-season, even when it was not legal for me to do so, I would drink a beer or two. Gin and tonics were my drink of choice in college. As an adult, I acquired a taste for cheap champagne. When I got married, I learned about the refreshing taste of Long Island Iced Tea, a mixed drink with five different shots of alcohol. I “celebrated†my successful defense of my doctoral thesis by drinking two of these concoctions, but I don’t remember much of the “celebration.â€
Still, I was not given to drunkenness very often when I was still drinking alcohol. There were periodic lapses in judgment, in that regard, but I generally maintained my self-discipline.
I maintained such [...]
