Too much of anything is bad...

For many years I have avoided alcohol. I was of age for quite some time and not particularly concerned about addiction or scandal, but I never chose to drink. I would tell people it was because I really didn't want to. Which I think was true. The way I saw it, most alcohol is an acquired taste, meaning I would only enjoy it after much exposure. If that is the case, why would I acquire the taste? For social comfort? What I am drinking will never make me comfortable socially.

Relatively recently, I have taken up the bottle. Not in an unhealthy way, but with some regularity. I began and have almost exclusively continued with whiskey. I have had many a bourbon, some scotch, some Irish whisky, and an American whiskey blend.

I find myself greatly excited by my new beverage. Not in an addictive way, but in the way a child becomes excited by a new toy. It is just wonderfully new and joy-filled to me. I have given it some thought, and I think what I find most attractive about it is the setting in which it is enjoyed. I often will sit down in an armchair with a friend or friends of mine and listen to Handel's Water Music and drink bourbon. This is an experience that provides me with a great amount of reflection and consistent, comfortable companionship. With the whiskey and the music, one can participate in no conversation and focus on the art of each of these beautiful works of man. I have often been known to pick a poetry book off the shelf as well and flip through it during these whiskey sessions for an additional source of art to reflect upon. 

Notably, though, the opportunity for conversation is always there. It would not be the same if it were not. The potential conversation is not an obligation, but it is an optional opportunity. If I desire to do it I can begin a conversation, if not, there is no awkwardness. My companions and I are all perfectly satisfied with the taste of whiskey and the sound of music. It is a social situation of unique simplicity.

What about whiskey specifically makes this experience better? Could I not sit with a glass of water and enjoy the same experience? Could we not sit with glasses of wine? I do not think I can fully put my words to why, but I am confident in saying that I could not have the same expirience with a glass of water. There is something mystical about the whiskey that forces one to sit and enjoy life slowly and beautifully. It is hard to drink whiskey quickly. It is not enjoyable to drink it quickly. It is a slow drink, and it makes for a slow experience. 

This brief new experience in my life is teaching me the importance of simplicity and of living in the present. The world wants me to move at a fast pace at all times, and often it seems as if it should because there is so much to do. However, what is clearly best for me is to be intentional about every moment I am in and not to rush to the next one: to live for now fully and completely. Tomorrow will be there. If it is not, why should I have worried about it at all?

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