In the village of my happy childhood - seventy miles from this keyboard in the heart of The East Riding of Yorkshire - there used to be a disused Methodist chapel. It was called Temperance Hall. More than once I entered its dusty rooms with village chums and stood upon the disused stage when preachers once sermonised.
As a boy, I never realised the significance of the term "temperance" but it was very much to do with abstaining from the consumption of alcoholic drinks - something that was closely connected with Methodism. Of course, the opposite of temperance is "intemperance" and usually someone who is judged to be intemperate will be a boozer, straying from the path of righteousness.
Before writing this, I had a look back at three connected blogposts I created in January 2023 - all titled "Alcohol". You can read them here, here and here. My reflections seemed quite comprehensive and there is not much I would wish to add to all of that.
Today I am thinking about temperance or abstention, focusing on three men who are very dear to me - my older brother Robin who lives in France, my son Ian who lives in London and my best friend Tony who lives in Beverley, East Yorkshire.
In the past, all three of these jolly fellows enjoyed a regular tipple and with each of them I have enjoyed good times with drink from our bellies rising to our heads. Don't get me wrong - not staggering around but conversing or joking, nicely oiled. Happy and relaxed under the influence.
The last time I spoke to my only remaining brother over the phone, he told me that he has not drunk any alcohol since Christmas. In the past, he and his girlfriend Suzie would always have a glass or two of wine with their evening meals and if Robin had been out working or biking, there was nothing he liked better than a couple of cans of beer from the fridge to quench his evening thirst. But now - zilch! Nothing!
Last weekend, my son Ian told me has also not had any alcohol this year. It is a habit he has fallen out of and now as a runner, vegan spokesman and regular gym visitor, he is very conscious of his all-round health. Alcohol does not seem to fit in to that equation. In the past, he would occasionally binge drink and not just beer or wine but strong spirits as well. It really does appear that those days are over.
My friend Tony has not had any alcoholic beverages for over seven years now. Something scared him in the past as he reached a point where he realised that he was plunging into full-blown alcoholism. He stopped imbibing drink and even joined a support group in which he could help others to battle their demons. I can't see him ever going back to beer or wine. Stuff happened that he could not even remember.
And so we arrive at me - your genial host. I must confess that I still love beer and different wines too but my intake is greatly reduced from say twenty years ago. There are many days and nights when not a drop of alcohol passes my lips and a boozy night for me is now just four pints of "Stones" bitter at the Sunday pub quiz. I do not feel motivated to join the temperance movement like Robin, Ian and Tony and maybe I never will. As cool folk sometimes say, "I got this".
How about you?
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/aFSn0YZ
