The Drink

A friend of mine once said, "I am only having one drink.  See, I am not an alcoholic."  I said, "Oh?"  She had more to say.  To her, an alcoholic was someone who drank too much, which of course she was not going to do this evening at dinner.  I pointed to my broccoli.  I said, "See this broccoli?  I don't look at it and think that I am only going to have three pieces and no more.  I don't think about it at all.  I am not thinking about more broccoli now or later tonight."  She look puzzled.  So I explained to her that normal drinkers don't think about how many or few drinks they are going to have.  A little wine to add to the flavor of a meal, or relax with a friend, but nothing more is thought about the wine.  Alcoholics think about their drinking.  They are going to prove they are not alcoholics by not drinking or by drinking only one drink.  They are going to prove that they do not drink too much, or can control it...this time.  I have never been accused of eating too much broccoli.  The inevitable time comes, soon enough, too soon, when the controlling drinker has one too many and then whines about how no one loves them, no one cares, the world is a mess, and so on.  I don't end up that way with broccoli.  I don't need broccoli to whine!  Maureen, pray for me.