I had an interesting experience with alcohol growing up. My parents were pretty strict, so I didn't go to drinking parties in high school. I didn't get drunk fo

I had an interesting experience with alcohol growing up. My parents were pretty strict, so I didn't go to drinking parties in high school. I didn't get drunk for the first time until near the end of my senior year in high school. It was great fun, and it helped me feel accepted. I drank a bit more, especially as graduation got closer. One night I blacked out, and scared myself at how much I drank. I asked my best friend that week to "Stop me if I ever start to drink like that again." He looked me in the eye and told me he couldn't do that, because his dad was an alcoholic and he'd grown up hearing comments like that all his life. I had no idea. I decided to hold off on drinking for a while, knowing that I have a tendency to dive into new things. I ended up not drinking at all through college. I went to plenty of parties, and it wasn't awkward at all because everyone knew me as someone who just didn't drink. It was a relief to try a beer some time after graduation and realize I could enjoy a drink or two with friends and not get drunk. I've seen a lot of lives seriously impacted by alcohol, and I'm grateful every day that I found a way to manage my consumption at a young age. I admire people who can pull back from heavy social drinking like the author describes.