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I had my 1st real drink when I was 15 on vacation. An older kid bought it for me, a gin & tonic. I didn't drink at all in HS, other than a few drinks at a graduation party at a friends house 10 minutes away. I felt unprepared when I got to college for those events..
Yeah, I had my first actual 'drink' at a HS graduation party--a bit later than most of my peers, although I was young for my grade, having just turned 17 at said graduation party. We drank some sort of obscure Serbian liquor, as my friend's dad was from Serbia and this was a reserved-for-special-occasions drink straight from the liquor cabinet. Myself and a couple friends, second-generation Serbian included, basically killed the bottle, which led to me acting obnoxiously and being temporarily forced into 'solitary confinement' in the basement laundry room, lol. Good times.
I did and I do regret it. Raised by abusive anchoring I soon fell into drinking around the clock by 9th grade. My friends all drank too much too. The majority on this thread must have had different friends and home. Good for them.
I tend to agree with you. I was quite surprised at some of the false based reasonings...Ohh us upper crust folks only sipped. Or it was the low class teens that didn't moderate their drinking thus...they over indulged.
IQ has little to do with consumption nor social economic stance. Stupid is as stupid does. Chemical composition has it as a poison. Let that saturate for a while...
My view is not directed at you personally Kayekaye, as I come from a drug lived life....Not one iota proud ...Am 100% realistic in how some justify their usage....
I had my 1st real drink when I was 15 on vacation. An older kid bought it for me, a gin & tonic. I didn't drink at all in HS, other than a few drinks at a graduation party at a friends house 10 minutes away. I felt unprepared when I got to college for those events..
I saw a lot of this when we were young. This is why my dad introduced me to alcohol in my senior year of high school. As I said a few postings back, I did not drink regularly in high school, but I did learn how much I could drink and to drink like a lady as my dad called. Whatever that meant I have no idea.
I started very young with no regrets!
I was born into an Italian-German family, the youngest of three kids. My Italian grandmother was the only grandparent I knew as the others unfortunately died before I was born. She had a strong influence in my life, especially with our Italian heritage, and along with my mother's German heritage, traditions were important to our family. From my earliest memories, most Sunday meals were family meals that brought us to Grandma Kate's home. She was a cooking machine, with meals that regularly included several of the following goodies, homemade noodles, ravioli, gnocchi, lasagna, stuffed artichokes, braccioli, chicken cacciatore, and I could go on and on. Anyway, in keeping with tradition, Grace was said before beginning our Sunday feasts, and everyone at the table had a glass of red wine with their meal. It was symbolic in our religion, and it aided digestion. The children's wine had water added, the younger you were, the more water was added to your glass. When you got to be 15 or so, you had strictly red wine. This taught us, that family, food and wine were to be celebrated and enjoyed together. Sadly, this tradition was frowned upon as time went on. And now look where we find ourselves. Typically, most families don't gather on Sundays, most families don't eat together, and teens teach teens how to drink!
Where did it all go wrong?
I do regret my underage drinking. I was raised in an alcoholic home and I chose to follow suit at age 11 years. Alcoholism is a disease, yes, but addiction is a disease of choice. I chose to drink just as I chose to stop drinking. I dropped out of high school. I stopped drinking when I was 22. I went through detoxification on my own, I.e. no help; the nightmares, the shakes, vomiting, feeling my skin crawl. I was raised to keep quiet and going to a doctor or clinic would have meant talking about what I had been through and why I started drinking. It took me years to go back to school and make something of myself. I did not graduate college until I was 52. I work as a registered nurse now. I am now closing in on 33 years of sobriety. Playing with fire can burn one badly.
I do regret my underage drinking. I was raised in an alcoholic home and I chose to follow suit at age 11 years. Alcoholism is a disease, yes, but addiction is a disease of choice. I chose to drink just as I chose to stop drinking. I dropped out of high school. I stopped drinking when I was 22. I went through detoxification on my own, I.e. no help; the nightmares, the shakes, vomiting, feeling my skin crawl. I was raised to keep quiet and going to a doctor or clinic would have meant talking about what I had been through and why I started drinking. It took me years to go back to school and make something of myself. I did not graduate college until I was 52. I work as a registered nurse now. I am now closing in on 33 years of sobriety. Playing with fire can burn one badly.
Each of us is different as much as we are the same. But the right path for me may not be the same path for you. What is important is for us to find the path which is best for each of us. It seems you figured this out, and persevered, and went beyond what was best for you, as you now help other people. I respect that. Congratulations!
I saw a lot of this when we were young. This is why my dad introduced me to alcohol in my senior year of high school. As I said a few postings back, I did not drink regularly in high school, but I did learn how much I could drink and to drink like a lady as my dad called. Whatever that meant I have no idea.
Myself and most my male buddies partied throughout high school, it was the early 80's and someone could find a source. Most of us learned some limits and by the time college age came around it wasn't a big transition. Now my clean living female friends? A few had to leave school for a semester and clean up, then catch up on credits during the summer months.
Why in the world would I regret it? Why would that thought even occur to me? Or to anyone unless their drinking eventually lead to alcoholism or health issues brought on by boozing.
I started drinking beer at age 15 (not much, just now and then). I spent a lot of time in Europe as well, where "underage" drinking doesn't exist, I ordered wine and beer in many a German restaurant at age 15-16.
I did drink before turning 21, but that was over 40 years ago and the worst thing that ever happened was I got sick one night after mixing different alcohols. I never got blackout drunk or anything, rarely have I ever got really drunk in my life..I stop at tipsy! I guess the ones who regret it had bad things happen.
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