So it has been four months since I’ve had a drop of alcohol. I have not had a sip of beer, wine or anything containing booze since October 2010.
Me decision to stop drinking was due to me always having a beer in my hand. No matter was I doing, working on the car, working on the lawn, watching TV, doing homework, it seemed that I was always drinking. I don’t remember ever getting drunk, maybe a little tipsy once and a while, but I always seemed to have a drink.
This was not the message I ever wanted to give to my children. I always hated the hypocrisy of some parents when they would tell their children not to smoke, while they were smoking. They would tell them not to drink, while they were drinking. What makes this hypocrisy worse is that the parents were always having a good time while doing it, then telling their children how bad it was for them. So children quickly pick up that these are key words parents are supposed to say, but if you want to have a good time, drink and smoke.
Now I understand that kids are smart. Most likely the children would view their parent’s behavior and think, I will never drink or smoke like they do. That leaves children with only two views of their parents; as hypocrite for doing what they tell their children what not to do, or as weak individuals who do things they know they are not supposed to do.
Either way, as a father of three daughters, I did not want my children to see me in either light.
In the last four months I have not had any issues with alcohol. The first few weeks were very difficult to stop drinking. I craved the carbs and sugars continuously. It was very hard to break the habit. After the physical cravings, it was difficult when going out with friends for lunch or dinner. They looked at me strangely and felt uncomfortable ordering drinks around me. whenever you tell someone that you stopped drinking you always get the same question; “why was it a problem?” then they look even weirder at you when you say no it wasn’t you just didn’t want it to be one.
The first benefit I saw immediately was sleep. Immediately I noticed I was able to sleep fully and soundly at night. No longer was I getting up for the bathroom. I wasn’t lying in bed looking at the ceiling. I wasn’t waking up with an upset stomach. Or anything. I was sleeping thronging the night and waking up rested.
Another benefit was the money being saved. I used to spend between 25-30 dollars a weekend on beer and drinks for me and the wife. There is a saving of 100 dollars a month. If we went out to eat I would get a few beers. Whenever you get a beer at dinner the restaurant rips you off for the price of beer. So just by me not drinking we easily saved about 200 dollars a month.
Of course the greatest benefit is seeing the new respect my children have for me. They look at me differently and talk to me differently. I hope they see that I overcame a weakness in an effort to make us stronger and to help build their character.
