Drunkaholism

            During song practice on Wednesday morning it felt like my denture was a little looser than it’s been since I first got it a month ago. I started thinking that maybe I need to go back to the dentist to see if it can be adjusted.

            I spent most of the day updating my journal.

            I watched an episode of Leave it to Beaver in which Ward gives a handyman with a reputation for being an alcoholic a second chance by letting him paint the trim on their house. Ward and June, when talking about Andy in front of the boys, simply refer to “Andy’s trouble” because they want to protect them from the ugly truth about alcoholism. Because of this, when Beaver is home alone and Andy comes in asking for brandy, Beaver gives him his father’s bottle because he has no idea that drinking is Andy’s “trouble”.

            A guy came to our house one time asking for a drink. I was about 10 and I knew from my experience with my brother that the man was an alcoholic. All we had in the place was rubbing alcohol and he wanted to drink it. I took the bottle and poured it down the sink right in front of him. My mother was shocked that I would do that.

            In 1967 we drove up to Oshawa, Ontario to spend Easter with my brother, my sister in law and my infant niece. One time while we were there Allison asked Ann for money to buy a drink and when she refused he hit her. I was 12 and he was 23, but I jumped him anyway. He threw me across the room.