Faded Jeans Living

At 10 years old on Smith Drive, I was having a blast in my own 100 acre neighborhood building forts in the woods, climbing trees to discover faraway lands, swimming in the campground pools, making bigger and bigger evil knievel bike jumps, daring each other to climb through the drainage tunnel under the highway, and eating my dinner as fast as I could to get back outside for a couple more hours of funness. There was no analyzing my past at 10, ha, and definitely wasn’t worried about my future. I just lived in the present everyday jumping out of bed and getting after it!

At 13, we were living in town and I started to do what many other 13 year olds did in my hometown. We smoked homegrown marijuana and started drinking alcohol on weekends. I may have had too much freedom, and was running with a rough crowd, but this was my way. There were the typical nerds, jocks, and partyers and I gravitated to the latter.

At 20, I was in the Army in Germany seeing Europe through many brown beer bottles. Afterward, I continued my nonsense graduating to doing many things I’m quite embarrassed and ashamed of today.

At 33, I got married and alcohol was completely baked into my environment. If I was happy and wanted to celebrate I’d drink. If I was sad I’d drink. If it was Friday or Saturday night I’d drink. If I was scared I’d drink. If I was bored I’d drink. Drinking for me consisted of binge drinking. Only partaking if I first had several free hours and second the quantities of beer to get totally buzzed. If those didn’t add up what was the use for just a few social drinks? That’s how my brain rolled.

At 48, I sat out front of my house with a beer in my hand after realizing my marriage was over from the love of my life with two beautiful teenage kids involved.

At 53, I finally successfully quit alcohol. Not ever to return.

I could have obviously went into way more detail of the ugliness of alcohol in each era, but THIS HERE IS WHAT I WANT TO SAY.

IF YOU ARE QUESTIONING IF YOU HAVE AN ALCOHOL PROBLEM, YOU PROBABLY DO.

DON’T WAIT 40 YEARS LIKE ME TO QUIT!