i remember vividly a first party -drinking experience drinking way too much too fast at a h.s. party and throwing up on someone’s driveway. I even remember what jacket i was wearing and that a little bit of vomit got on it. i even kind of remember what i was thinking at the time– “dang, i was having fun, why did I have to overdo it?” But felt much better afterwards and wished i had a toothbrush.
What i try to teach my kids is that alcohol is truly a good thing, something that people were meant to use, but that the good feeling you get from alcohol does not increase as you drink more. it’s as good as it’s going to get with 1-2 drinks an hour is my lesson. faster and more doesn’t help with alcohol (and probably a lot of other things, too); in fact it makes things worse. it’s a lesson i review often with them. Who knows if it’ll stick or if they understand, or how they’ll figure things out themselves, but i think it’s a lot more persuasive than society’s current message, which is, adults only, sure, go to war when you’re 18, but don’t drink till you’re 21 because it’s too dangerous. Repression and prohibition and making something seem exotic and illicit leads to pent up demand that has to be unleashed, often in extreme ways.
drinking alone with porn is bad, but the isolation and sadness and unconnectedness are the problems, not alcohol in itself.
