proskuneho

The older I get, the more I realize that I have a lot to learn. Perhaps our mothers (at least some of them) have learned some things the hard way - and they hope we will not have to.
Again, I speak about the effects and damages of alcohol from personal experience!

1. My early home life as a kid was ruined by it. Ill spare details.
2. The mother of one of my best friends died in her sleep of alcohol poisoning.
3. I had my own struggles with alcohol ending 13 years ago, and even got lucky about avoiding a DUI or accident when I was 20.
4. A great friend from college was killed by a drunk driver.
5. I started a master's degree in counseling (it's on hold while I work on my MBA. I know, so many interests, so little time ) and have read many a case study about alcohol abuse.
6. Many other people that I care about have experienced terrible family problems that were compounded by alcohol abuse.

It is clear that I stepped on some toes, not my intention. Really, I am not trying to offend anyone. I am sorry because I know this is a hot-button issue for some people.
I guess you can say I am campaigning for a cause. Instead of making fun of this issue, can't you guys be more open minded? This country prides itself on being "open minded".

Have a great night all.

Slice

P,
While I am sympathetic to your life experiences with family and friends, many of us live a full life or maybe 40% (I hope)or so for me so far without major consequence. People smoke for 50+ years and die of natural causes. Some people who have never smoked have died of lung cancer. I had a friend who died in a motorcycle accident. I forced myself to ride the next day. Either way, it sucks. I really don't get your point other than don't drink(more than a drink or two at a time). In the grand scheme of life, I really believe it's crap. If you're predisposed, sure walk the straight and narrow, but the majority of us are not. So, ultimately, what's your point? Stay inside, don't do anything that could be a risk? XYZ was screwed up for me, so it must be for you? Alcoholism or drug addiction in a family is horrible, but across the spectrum of humanity, I'd say it's the exception rather than the norm. You speak of personal experience and I can respect that, but in my 35+ years on this Earth, my experience is apparently vastly different than yours(not to say I haven't seen some screwed up folks).

MiserDD

We’re missing the bigger picture here. In the wild a herd is only as strong as its weakest link. If these weakest links are allowed to bread they will bring down the quality of the whole herd (like welfare recipients in the human race). Well Mother Nature has taken care of that with predators. Predators pick off the weakest animals ensuring that only the strongest, fastest, and most cunning survive.

Well, alcohol does the same thing for our brain. Some of our brain cells are slow or poorly functioning. Studies have shown that alcohol has the most effect on brain cells with the least activity and therefore the weakest immunity. Alcohol helps us by removing these weaker brain cells and ensuring that the stronger brain cells (you know, the ones that do math... if I can buy two 8” pizzas or one 12” pizza for ten bucks which is the better deal, and the ones that reason... Wx has just fallen below mins but I’ve passed the FAF, can I continue on this ILS, do I want to since I know this FBO doesn’t have any Otis Spunkmeyer cookies...) survive unhindered in their job by the weaker ones (you know, the ones that do worthless creativity... I think I should paint the room mauve, but that just won’t go with the chartreuse boarder my wife picked out, and the ones that defy reason... does my butt look big in these jeans, I know, I’ll ask my wife and then cry no matter what her answer is.) which would merely compete for neural resources and slow down the whole rapid thought process.

proskuneho

That is actually a profound point. I'm not saying that we should not enjoy our lives and do things that are great fun. I totally agree that rigid, plastic, 100% predictable lives are BORING. Some element of risk makes life exciting.

As is the purpose of this forum, I am simply expressing my opinion, and of course I expect a dialogue of different opinions. My opinion is that excessive alcohol has too many risks. If someone wants to party and get happy, fine.

Perhaps I did not make clear that my problem is only when some people cannot control themselves and therefore end up doing things that they cannot take back. Some people cannot control themselves. If someone can control themself, then why not party? Like I said, I don't ever want to put myself in the position (again) where I intentionally compromise my judgment. Certain "risks" can be fun, as long as I have my judgment.

FlyJSH

no, i juzt caint spill

Epiphany (feeling), a realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something or someone. An inspired understanding arising from connecting with profound insight, awareness, or enlightened truth.




The mind — when cleansed, well guarded and protected — can lead to great benefit.

The path is the goal.

WonderMonkey

Sounds familiar... Is that Norm's Buffalo Theory from Cheers???

Slice

I'll drink to that!

USMCFLYR

I know someone that just tested out at a 0.39 BAC.
He almost wasted his life.

USMCFLYR

KC10 FATboy

To date, some of the best nights of my life were spent having drinks with my military buds. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Being stuck in Korea for a remote tour was supposed to be rough, but instead, it was the biggest and longest party of my life. Having an apartment above 2 bars and having over 100 bars located a couple of blocks away was a dream come true. I can't believe my liver survived. The highlights include ...

• Evading the Military Police (MP) during curfew hours
• Scaling a 4-story building so I could remove the French flag atop the Korea Hotel
• Arrogon Sue (enough said)
• Calling in air strkes made of "snaps" and bottle rockets on the MPs (they deserved it)
• Warning military personell from my balcony (some would say yelling) who were stuck outside the military gate past curfew, giving them advice on where to hide and where the MPs were
• Secret trips to the glass house
• Almost burning down all of Songtan City with a turkey fryer (editors note, I was in the US at the time)
• The Pink Flamingo in Manilla
• Figuring out that as an O-3 I didn't have enough money for the russians at the UN club
• Learning that philipino girls love McDonald's and they'll come to your apartment after curfew for a Happy Meal
• Trying to convince my landlord that the antibiotics I ordered in her pharmacy weren't for me ... but "for a friend of mine"
• Arguing over whether shots of Bicardi are legal in a game of 7-14-21 ... waking up the next morning on the bathroom floor of my apartment and realizing that I lost that argument!

Ok, so maybe we got a little crazy. I had my fun and now its time for some young buck to take my place and have his.

-Fatty

frozenboxhauler

I had 3 epiphanies on my last trip!
Cheers,
fbh