Saturday, November 26, 2011

To Drink, Or Not To Drink

Back again from taking a writer's cramp hiatus. That's a euphemism for "I was too lazy to think about shit to write". Hell, I am not even a writer, but I enjoy drinking beer. A lot of us enjoy beer and this wonderful beverage has been around for thousands of years. So, we must be doing something right if we have a relationship with brewing, wouldn't you say?

Some people do not drink anything with alcohol for different reasons. Some can not handle it. Some have personal and religious beliefs in regards to abstaining from it. It becomes for some people, a moral issue.

Therein, lies the problem. Back in the day, there was a Temperance Movement to practically abolish the manufacture of alcohol and its sale to the public. The darling of the movement back then, was little Carry Nation. Alcohol consumption was the recreational drug of the day. Before that, was opium and usually smoked in opium houses of that time. Then along came Prohibition.

However, there was more to it than just a morality issue by the abstainers. People had distilleries in their houses, barns, bath tubs, sinks, washboards, etc. Not only could this be consumed by people, but also their cars. This was an alternative fuel to gasoline. That was the real reason for Prohibition. And the same for the marijuana and hemp. Hemp was a threat to the petrochemical industry, namely, The Dupont Family.

Back to the drinking issue. People who abstain for personal reasons have every right to do so. It is their right. It is also a right to consume it as well. Some people have a legitimate reason to abstain and even join support groups such as AA, otherwise known as Alcoholics Anonymous. The support group has replaced their addiction for the AA belief system. It's a religion to them and this is where it becomes an issue with me.

Have you ever heard someone rant and rave about their new found love or religion? Have you noticed how they have become morally superior to you because you are not one of them?

I have a relative who does not drink and is proud of it. This person brags while looking up to heaven as if to get divine approval. This person attends a church fellowship to renew their weekly dose of religion. However, this person lacks the everyday graces such as manners, courtesy, kindness, and most importantly, love.

This person is drunk on the high of moral superiority, self worshipness, arrogance, and deep hatred.

If I didn't know better, that seems a lot like narcissism.