The Path To Survival

I was a gangly, self-conscious loner. But, one day at high school I heard one of the popular girls talking about raiding her parents' liquor cabinet and getting "so drunk." All of the kids were impressed. I felt like if I got drunk and everyone heard about it, I, too, would be popular. So, my best friend and I got a hold of a bottle of Bacardi 151 and during our lunch break drank until we were falling-down drunk. Our parents were called. Her parents grounded her and told her not to do it again. My Dad beat me with a belt and he and my Mom sent me to a little cult-like private school. But, even then, I knew I would drink again. I wanted that feeling of belonging.