Writer's Block: Young and driven

[charisstoma]

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Legal drinking age is 21 here in Texas. But I was raised up north.

I was raised in a State where minors could be given alcohol by their parents. Intent was that the parents supervised so kids learned how to drink responsibly.
This was also during a time when the drinking age was 18. They've raised that to 21 now.

My parents would come home and each have a beer which we kids would line up to get a 'sip' of. *smiles* Amazing how when you put your hand up to help steady the can it can retard tipping the can back down and you can get more then 'just a sip'.

Results:
I don't drink often and never if I'm driving at all because I'm not able to function well enough under even a little of the influence to be responsible for the important people and activities in my life.

I agree with how I was raised. Under a parent's supervision children can be introduced to alcohol and taught how to use it responsibly if at all. There is no great mystique to it.
21 seems like a good age but I think too, if you are capable enough to take on adult responsibility like putting your life on the line for your country then you should be capable enough to drink responsibly. If you can't be responsible then expect to earn the full punishment and don't whine about impaired judgement making you do something you wouldn't normally do. It's the same as driving while exhausted enough you shouldn't be behind the wheel or on allergy/prescribed medications.

Comments

[angelabenedetti.livejournal.com]

I know there are people out there who would consider that giving alcohol to a child to be abusive.

Sure, especially nowadays, when each child is supposed to be treated like a delicate little snowflake who'll melt to nothing if breathed on too hard. :/ When I was a kid (I'm forty-six now, as a reference) my family was unusual but didn't draw horrified stares or anything. And I agree that if there's alcoholism in the family, it's a different matter because of the genetic component. [nod]

Then again *coughs* sugar *coughs*

LOL! Except that I could scoop as much sugar into my coffee as I wanted, turning it into hot syrup if that's what I felt like drinking. [eyeroll] When I was little (up till six or so) my habitual coffee adulteration was three heaping teaspoons of sugar and almost an inch of milk. And this was in a coffee cup, not a mug. By the time of my confrontation with my grandmother, I was down to less than half as much of each, and by the time I was a teenager I was drinking it black. But no, the sugar wasn't the issue either, to my grandmother. It was just one of her notions, with which we all had to deal. :P

Angie

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

We were suppose to drink healthy things like milk for our strong bones and teeth. Soft drinks were rare in our house. Which following our theory that started this thread explains why as an adult I was abusing Pepsi, 6 cans a day until my body said enough. It's hard to argue with a need for all the things Pepto Bismo provides relief from.
Came to liking coffee late through a discovered love of chocolate covered coffee beans and just in time.