Alcohol

Ah yes, my friend Alcohol and I have had an interesting run the past 5 years. I say interesting only for the lack of a better term. I mean let's face it here, I've had the whole spectrum of emotions with booze.

There were the good times: The first time I drank, the second time I drank, the third time.....I am guessing the first 50 times never got dull. The first time I hooked up with a girl while drunk. Drinking at the Cubs game with my cousin, Drinking at the University of Iowa and going to a football game. Really the list goes on forever.

And of course you couldn't have the good without the bad, or odd: The first time puking, nope wait, any time I've puked. Blacking out, at U of I, twice! Dancing up on girls I had no business being within three feet of. Hooking up with girls who might not have without some help. Trying to fight a bouncer (at U of I no less). Hangovers. Hangovers that last a day. Anytime a girl crys while I'm drunk pretty much is never a real hoot. You get the point.

I've drank Jack, Jim, and Jose. I've drank Budweiser, Bud Light, and Budweiser select. Ive had irish carbombs, jagerbombs and cement mixers. Ive enjoyed martinis, margaritas, and pina coladas. At one time my drink of choice was McCormick's Vodka (mostly for economic reasons), which smell resembled that of a hand sanitizer.

Ive Beer Bonged, Shotgunned a beer, taken a shot, taken a double shot, chugged a pitcher, downed a flaming shot, licked spilt alcohol off a carpet (not kidding), and finished off a fifth by myself.

I am by no means an experienced drinker, and I can't hold an exorbitant amount of liquor. I've seen people who can, and my body is just not physically able to despite its polish ancestry. All those things that I have done are pretty typical, for a typical college student.

And through all of that I must truly say that I enjoy drinking (shockingly). No but seriously I love to drink. I have truly had some awesome times drinking, and it's some memories I'll never forget, and some memories I'll never remember no matter how hard I try. I have gained a healthy respect for it, and appreciate the fact that later in life I will be able to still enjoy alcohol, unlike some people, like my Uncle.

I'm sure at one time he enjoyed drinking as much as I did. Unfortunately for him, at some point in his life, having a jack and coke went from an enjoyable way to relax and have a good time to NEEDING a jack and coke in order to feel normal.

Most of us wake up in the morning and drag our half cloudy brains to the kitchen and grab some OJ or milk, and start making some breakfast. Uncle Bill goes to the kitchen, gets some coffee and begins his day off with some added Jim Beam. If he doesn't have some Jim Beam with his coffee he will begin to feel withdrawl symptoms, and for anyone aware of withdrawl symptoms, you understand why he needs to have his drink. By the end of the day (actually by the end of each and every day) he will have gone through a half gallon of Jim Beam on average. I'm sure if he's having a bad day he might push it to much more than that.

His physical deterioration has restricted him from being able to do many of the things he loves, like fishing with his nephews and even cutting his grass. The only time he leaves his house is to grab another boxfull of handles of Jim Beam. I've seen about four box fulls of empty Jim Beam boxes in his garage and a garbage can full of handles.

It's hard to imagine someone drinking so much alcohol, which is basically a poisonous substance in the body, and living to be 60, or even 50.

He is 50. or 52. something like that. I don't know how much longer his body can handle the daily bombardment it takes. It really can't be more than 10 years.

And as I reflect on that feeling of pity and helplessness, I just as soon take it back. He did this to himself, and if he truly had wanted help by now, he could have gotten it. I still look up to him as I always have, and I still love my uncle as I did when he showed me how to fish at 5 years old. I am just sad at his situation and what can happen to someone you love.

But I also owe him an ironic "Thank you", for teaching me a life lesson. Its not the cliched life lesson like "Appreciate time with your family" or "Don't have any regrets", although you can surely take that away from this.

No, for me, I learned how to appreciate alcohol (and many other things that can cause horrible addictions) as the double edged sword it is.

I just wish it hadn't come at the expense of my Uncle's life.