It’s Complicated

So I was raised in a family and church where drinking alcohol was considered wrong.  We simply didn’t have it in our home. Call it the “brand” of Christians we were or whatever, but that’s just the way it was. I once heard it compared to Puritanism, and I think I tend to agree with that. My parents may have had a rare glass of wine with dinner at a friend’s house, but overall, from school to church to even our extended family, we simply did not drink, and we didn’t know anybody who did.

It’s funny because when people find this out about me, they are appalled that there are places in society where this is the case. But it is just as funny to me to imagine a society or Christian upbringing where the fridge is stocked with beer. It’s just ingrained in me that alcohol is wrong.

When you really think about it, what’s wrong with a society like that? My parents were strict and protective, but what’s wrong with being overly protective of your child’s soul? What’s wrong with instilling a mindset of abstinence in your children and finding other ways of having a good time? My family is pretty stinkin’ funny, and we’ve never had to rely on alcohol to bring relaxation and fun.

But Ryan was raised the opposite of me….His parents, Spirit-filled Catholics, drank freely and saw nothing wrong with it. Beer was found in the fridge as easily as Coke would be. Our favorite picture of his mom and dad is one where they are having a romantic dinner in Mexico, alcoholic drinks visible in the foreground.

I had my first drink of alcohol completely by accident on a college missions trip to Germany. The mayor of Hannover served us what we thought was orange juice, but what turned out to be a “screwdriver.” Mmmm. Can you imagine what ORU would have thought if they had found out they sent a bunch of underage Christian kids to Europe who were then served Vodka??

I married Ryan, and we bought some champagne to toast in the New Year on our honeymoon. Little by little, I was converted to the belief that alcohol isn’t evil; it’s the over-consumption of it that’s wrong. It’s drunkenness that’s the sin. Even Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine, right?

Even so, because it wasn’t part of my upbringing, I forget about alcohol most of the time. I forget it exists because I was raised where it didn’t. Sure, I love a little glass of Bailey’s and cream now and then, but I don’t buy it regularly. Wine makes me feel warm and fuzzy, but I only have a rare glass as an afterthought. Ryan, though completely unopposed to it, has never liked the taste, so we just don’t think about it. We don’t need it.

I have had two co-workers get DUIs in the last six months. I can’t even imagine. I’m a little naïve, so when an employee isn’t answering their phone, the thought that they’re nursing a hangover or passed out somewhere doesn’t even cross my mind. I’m learning fast, though.

So this week, I had to buy beer for a company BBQ we had today. I bought 40 beers for 25 people. That’s enough, right? But I’ve gotten a lot of crap about it.

“That’s not even two beers per person.”

(You need more than one? Don’t forget we had water, Coke, Diet Coke, etc., in abundance)

“Two cases? Think you got enough?”

I am so confused!!! I mean, come on….The BBQ took place at 1:00 on a Friday when we were still technically working!! I wouldn’t think it would be prudent to drink in the afternoon when you still have to drive home. But what do I know? :-)

So after looking in the fridge and offering up a loud guffaw at my expense, my boss brought a ton more beer today. Sure enough, people drank it. Not all of it, but a lot of it.

You can laugh at my naivety. I guess I will just never be completely comfortable with it, and I will never understand the obsession. I’m not knowledgeable about it, and who really cares? No matter how much I try to “be cool” and change my perceptions, I still feel a little bit “naughty” when I drink, and I just don’t care enough about it to go gung-ho either way. It makes people uncomfortable when I don’t drink (when they are), and it would offend others if they knew I did on occasion.

Whatever.

It’s certainly complicated. :-)