On Drinking
I believe I've said this before, but I find that America is lacking real men. Men who are strong, honest, and hard working. It disturbs me that our culture has become so permissive. My uncle, with whom I share no blood relation, had expressed permissiveness where I expressed fury. I had discussed with him a fight that I had with my brother over the topic of drinking (noting that my brother is under 21). Even my mother and father were more lax than I would've wanted them to be. My uncle described a short anecdote where a man who comes home from a hard day of work would have a couple of beers to "take the edge off" as he said. I was shocked that he would condone such behavior.

I can understand social drinking. I don't really condone it. You can always have a Coke, and though it may be one of the most overpriced Cokes you will have ever had, it is a very available choice. But when it comes to altering one's mood through the use of substances, I draw the line. Real men don't resort to the bottle when times get tough. I realized at that moment that, being over the age of 21, I could very easily drown my troubles away whenver I wanted. I could go to the liquor store not four blocks away and purchase various bottles of alcohol to get drunk whenever things have gotten tough. And there is no doubt in my mind that I could've "used a drink" on many an occassion. But I never indulged. It never even crossed my mind.

I have never consumed alcohol, or any other substances, in order to alter my mood. My uncle tried to defend the drinking of alcohol by likening it to people who eat chocolate to feel better. It was a lame attempt, and I was rather disappointed in him because he's actually a smart guy. Are you going to tell me that eating chocolate or some other comfort food (like mashed potatoes) is the same as downing a whole bottle of whiskey?

Here's my stance on alcohol. I can accept its consumption. However, the reason behind its consumption must not have anything to do with altering one's mood. For example, on my date with Katie, she had expressed that she liked red wine because it tasted good. Now, she's only 20, making her consumption of alcohol illegal. But I'm not one for arbitrary numbers, so it was fine. My own personal guage of whether or not one should be allowed to drink is their maturity, not the number of years lived. But it's mostly context that guides the way I judge someone: the context and reasons for drinking are just as important to me. Yes, I am judgmental in this aspect, and I do not shy away from saying this.

Why don't I drink? I don't like the effect alcohol has on me. I don't like the sensations that are brought about. And though I have never been drunk, I never intend on becoming inebriated, intoxicated to the point where I cannot think or walk straight.

A Dying Breed
Finding those who hold the same values that I have is getting to be quite rare. I believe I am of a dying breed: a man who has strength and discipline, kindness and generosity, humility and respect, all without the need for some omniscient and omnipresent deity to keep him in check. People get on their knees and pray at night, thanking God for the nourishment they had received that day, expressing gratitude for their safety, the roof over their head. I do not need to pray to remember that I could be much worse off. When people are faced with the temptation of carnal pleasures, they often look to God to give them strength to stave off such temptations. They might even frame it as a test from the Almighty Himself. I do not need to look to the heavens to resist: I look within. There are times when young people are influenced by their peers to take drugs or to drink alcohol in order to have a good time. Some of these young people reach towards their neck and rub the cross that adorns it, reminding themselves that they are a good Christian or Catholic. This protects them from imbibing in such substances.

I have no cross, I have no God. I have me. I do not drink because it is my own will. I do not smoke tobacco or marijuana because it is my choice. I am not obeying any system that is enforced from without. I stand in this world against a culture that permits sex, drugs, and alcohol. I stand in this world against a culture that wants something for nothing, in a world that is crumbling before my very eyes. And it is tiring.