Somebody asked me this question at a talk I was giving today, they were keen to give up alcohol but finding it hard to face a future where alcohol would never feature. I of course answered no but it made me think.
I used to smoke. From the age of fourteen until I was thirty-five I smoked at least twenty cigarettes a day and I remember thinking then I would never be able to face a life without cigarettes. I gave up twenty-four years ago and I have never ever missed having a cigarette and would never want one. For most of this period my wife smoked, people around me smoked and when I went drinking most of my pals smoked. None of that ever tempted me to smoke again – not even on the odd occasion when I would be at a posh hotel on business and drunk on brandy, and my colleagues would hand round the cigars. Never.
So would I drink alcohol again? The same story as with smoking applies. I go to pubs and wine bars, most of my friends drink – some heavily, and even my wife has the occasional glass of champagne. Am I ever tempted - no. Once you make the mental commitment never to drink again it really is that easy – believe me.
The picture? Having read my recent post about 1970’s television programmes a chap after the talk was chatting to me about 70’s celebrities and he mentioned the foul-mouthed bigoted comedian Bernard Manning who was big at the time – he is on the left of the picture. Many years ago someone once told me I looked like him and I hated that fact. The picture on the right is me in 2008 at the height of my drinking period, I dug it out today. It is taken at a breakfast seminar where I was giving a comedy show. No wonder I don’t want to drink again!
I used to smoke. From the age of fourteen until I was thirty-five I smoked at least twenty cigarettes a day and I remember thinking then I would never be able to face a life without cigarettes. I gave up twenty-four years ago and I have never ever missed having a cigarette and would never want one. For most of this period my wife smoked, people around me smoked and when I went drinking most of my pals smoked. None of that ever tempted me to smoke again – not even on the odd occasion when I would be at a posh hotel on business and drunk on brandy, and my colleagues would hand round the cigars. Never.
So would I drink alcohol again? The same story as with smoking applies. I go to pubs and wine bars, most of my friends drink – some heavily, and even my wife has the occasional glass of champagne. Am I ever tempted - no. Once you make the mental commitment never to drink again it really is that easy – believe me.
The picture? Having read my recent post about 1970’s television programmes a chap after the talk was chatting to me about 70’s celebrities and he mentioned the foul-mouthed bigoted comedian Bernard Manning who was big at the time – he is on the left of the picture. Many years ago someone once told me I looked like him and I hated that fact. The picture on the right is me in 2008 at the height of my drinking period, I dug it out today. It is taken at a breakfast seminar where I was giving a comedy show. No wonder I don’t want to drink again!
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