Part 3 of the story of how my life changed. You could call it From Beer to Eternity. There could be 15-20 or so of these to make up the whole story.
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I never get in trouble for drinking. No arrests. No firings. No embarrassing public scenes (oh wait, there was that one -- more on that later). I'm a functional alcoholic, which is dangerous -- there is no crisis to help me confront my problem.
I'm not physically dependent on alcohol. I never drink at work, so there's eight hours a day, plus sleep, when I'm sober. When I finally quit, I have no tremors or side effects like Dad has when he quits.
But I'm totally psychologically addicted. I'm always calculating how much I have, how much I can get away with drinking, and how I can get more without anyone catching on to how much I'm drinking.
As soon as I get off work, I stop and buy three quarts of beer. I drink one on the way home (so my wife Brenda doesn't know) and when I get home I drink another. So, within two hours of getting off work I have two quarts in me, and one in the fridge. Then I try to find an excuse to go to the grocery, or run an errand. I'm so helpful! While I'm out I buy another quart plus a couple of cans, drink the cans, and bring the quart home. Now I've got a good stash at home and don't have to worry about my supply. Then I fall asleep on the floor while watching TV. When I wake up I drink more beer. This scene is repeated daily for years, in various forms depending on my work hours, sometimes with quarts, sometimes with six-packs. You can get another quick picture of these years HERE.
I can't imagine life without beer. It's my security; in a way it's my life. I look at Brenda and think, "How do you do it? How do you go thru a whole day without drinking? Day after day!?" (I never say that, of course.) Alcohol is normal -- NOT drinking is a whole 'nother planet.