Alcohol....glorious alcohol

Alcohol…..glorious alcohol

I certainly would not say I drink to the state of being often drunk. An alcoholic maybe.

I looked up the definition of an alcoholic in the dictionary.

A person who is unable to give up the habit of drinking alcohol very often and in large amounts.

This definitely applies to me, my only bone of contention would be the definition of large amounts.

It was nearly the end of the year. Christmas had passed with all the family present. Great feasting, plenty of booze, high spirited singing, a good and happy time was spent by all. After much kissing, hugging and arranging dates for future meetings. With a feeling of relief my wife and I heard the front door closing for the last time. We sat on the living room’s couch a little dazed from the storm of youth, children, laughter and occasional tears that had passed through our house over the festive period.

I turned to my wife and said. “Shall we go dry in January?”

Before replying she turned to have a good look at me. “My darling, we tried that two years ago. We held out for 5 days.”

“This time it will be different. Not only is it my doctor’s advice but I feel motivated to stay the course.”

“This sounds promising, but don’t count me in, I need a little stimulant to get through my hectic days.”

“If I accept the challenge you must agree not to drink in front of me.”

“I accept but what about the New Year party?”

“I will start going dry at midnight on the 31st December. So we will have to cheer in the New Year with a full glass and empty it before the clock finishes striking midnight.”

January 1st. Water for lunch, milk for dinner. As I slipped into bed I could feel my body craving that usual night cap of Calvados.

January 2,3,4. An annoying sense of craving a drink was increasing. I found myself continually crossing the street avoiding the liquor stores while I walked to the office. Milk at dinner, will I be able to keep this up?

January 5th Habitually I always call in at my club before going home for dinner. Up until now, under my new regime, I had deemed it to be treacherous a port of call. This evening I decided to try. As I stepped into the warm welcoming atmosphere of the club I was greeted by two staff members assailing me with good wishes for the New Year. They told me as they had not seen me for a few days they thought I was ill from the festivities of Christmas. When I went into the members’ lounge I saw next to my favorite chair the evening paper and a glass of my favorite whiskey awaiting me. I called the barman and told him I was on an attempt in January to resist all alcohol. So please take it away and serve me a glass of sparkling water.

As I sat there and saw the faces of my colleagues raise the glasses to my effort. I felt very depressed and dejected. What’s the point? My idea of enjoying an hour reading the papers without a drink was impossible, also I could hear the ice cubes clinking on the side of crystal glasses as their glasses were being lifted to enjoy a divine nectar. It was agony. I just left the club vowing never to step across its door until February.

January 6th This was my night for playing bridge amongst friends all dedicated drinkers. It was always an evening animated by excellent wines. Could I stand the temptation? The craving for an alcoholic drink was still there, but I believe I was getting it under control. The evening ended with me winning a reasonable sum of money, something that had never happened before. I put it down to the fact I was the only one sober. At home my wife insisted on smelling my breath. “You have beaten our record of two years ago.”

January 7th to 11^th.I found me selfdrinking more milk and having terrifying nightmares about drinking and driving, visiting hospitals asking to see patients suffering from the problems with alcohol. I went to my doctor to ask for sleeping pills.

January 15th. We were invited to a dinner party by some close friends. There were 10 other guests present and all seemed amazed when I told them it was my dry month. My wife God bless her told the party she could not take a drink in their company as she had promised her husband not to drink in front of him, but she added I might go into the kitchen for a sip. The evening started in high spirits with interesting conversations and sparkling wit. As the empty bottles of spirits and wine disappeared into the kitchen. The guests’ voices and laughter increased in volume, view points hardened, arguments swept a pleasant evening into a disagreeable skeptical. Time to leave. As we took a taxi home. I turned to my wife and said. Pity a pleasurable evening spoiled by alcohol.

January 18th I had changed my drinking habits as I found my stomach bloated with excessive milk drinking. I turned to tea and felt better. I was now over halfway in my quest to stay dry in January, so I thought I would test myself. On the way back from the office I called in to my favorite wine shop. I was greeted by the smiling face of the manager expecting my usual order. The smile disappeared when I told him I was only looking for modest table wine. Once selected I asked him to uncork it. “Of course” came the reply. As he handed me the uncorked bottle I had the distinct impression he thought I was going to drink it before him “Please just put the cork back as I am going to give it as a New Year’s present to old Joe sleeping rough down the street. January is my dry month.”

“Now I understand why I have not been seeing you lately. I wish you courage and all the best for the New Year.”

As I left the shop I was tempted to take a swig. The craving for alcohol was still there. I took a deep breath, walked down the street and handed the bottle to Joe sitting outside his tent on the pavement.

“God bless you sir and happy New Year.”

I walked on head held high; the test passed.

January 20th. This was going to be a day that would truly test my resolve. The office party is always an alcoholic jamboree. Senior Partners were expected to toast staff members for their devotion and hard work. The toast was always in Champagne, any less beverage would be considered totally inappropriate. I would have to excuse myself for toasting the staff with a glass of sparkling water. I had every intention of leaving early before the sight and odor of alcohol turned my head. As I made my little speech I saw many skeptical faces and heard whispers of him never making it. I left early without a drink.

January 22nd. This was a long day in the courtroom. It closed with the Judge asking me into his chamber for a drink to toast the New Year. The drinks had already been prepared. All one had to do was to pick up the glass. I had a moment of hesitation. He was a judge that I needed to make sure we had something in common like enjoying drinks together. If I refused this glass on the pretext I was not drinking alcohol during January he might feel insulted. Toasting the New Year with water is not considered cricket, but I had held out for 22 days. I could not give up now. With a quick explanation I asked for a glass of water. I heard the Judge say. “Admirable New Year’s resolution but one toast glass will not damage your resolve.”

“I agree with your honor but it breaks the vow I took on the 1st of January.”

“Give him a glass of water, his legal career has just gained two stripes.”

January 24th. It was Sunday. A cold North westerly blowing making any walking exercise an arctic experience. I sat in my study at home in front of three bottles of different tastes.

Again I was testing myself to try and put this fascination of alcohol out of my mind. There in front of me were three of my favorite drinks, champagne, whiskey and Calvados. I asked myself why throughout all ages has man found pleasure in an alcoholic drink. They say it has a soothing effect on one’s nervous system and engenders Dutch courage. Certainly considered drinking alcohol is the gateway to enjoyment with friends and family and celebrating special occasions. Some say it is a stimulant to the thought process, others say it dulls the mind. Regardless of its effect on us humans it remains the ritual of choice to a large number of the world’s population. I put the bottles away with the thought I should ring a friend of mine who ran an alcoholic anonymous group and ask if I could be a silent observer.

January 26th. I sat there amongst a group of twenty listening to the destructive influence alcohol had had on their lives. One man had lost his job with little hope of finding another. A single woman lost her husband and children through being drunk for most of the day. Another man has serious kidney problems and just has to stop drinking but was finding it nearly impossible. A smartly dressed individual told the group he had bre forced to put his business into bankruptcy, lost his fortune; his wife and children had walked out long ago. After an hour I left seriously disturbed and saddened by the meeting. Man’s possible addiction to alcohol and, no doubt, drugs is signing their death warrant and having a disastrous influence on those around them.

January 27th. I received by post two invitations to two very interesting wine tasting. One in three days' time and the other in the second week of February. Both were thrown into the waste-paper basket. I was about to reach down and recover the February invitation but somewhere in my brain told me to stop. I went to the bathroom to look at my face in the mirror. My facial skin seemed to be less blotchy or was I imagining things? I gave the impression of being more alert, was it because I had stopped drinking? I again looked into the mirror and I saw hazy images of faces from our families Christmas, the office party, my bridge friends and the dinner party all lit up from alcohol. I had a feeling of disgust. That night over dinner I asked my wife if she had noticed a change. She told me that she thought my overall impression had benefited from not indulging in your regular consumption of alcohol.

January 31st. I started the morning feeling proud of myself. I still had enough personal discipline to combat my drinking habit. In the beginning of the month this lack of alcohol had left me irritable and with an enormous craving for a drink. I would be the first to admit I was on the cusps of giving up the challenge. As the month progressed I learned to live without the glorious taste of various drinks. Towards the end of the month I felt more alert and at peace with myself. I was beginning to see another side to life outside the influence of alcohol. Nevertheless I intended to stay up tonight and on the final stroke of midnight have a small nightcap. It didn’t happen. I was in bed by ten and spent the night sound asleep.

February 1st. In the morning I found several congratulation cards on my desk. One card told me that 10 employees had taken the pledge only two stayed the course;

Congratulations. This made me smile. When I left home this morning my wife told me she was preparing a special dinner tonight so please, my dear, don’t drop in your club on the way home. When I arrived that evening a large whiskey was awaiting me and I saw an excellent château bottled wine on the dining table.

“Darling what a lovely surprise but I am sorry I will not be drinking any alcohol tonight, in fact it may be some time before any alcohol passes my lips. But please let me admire you drinking in front of me.”

David Nutt January 2024