The Weekly Package

Web Exclusive: One Year Later

A sober member celebrating a year looks back on a life with alcohol that began when he was 9 years old.

"After drinking, my sister and I played in the leaves, and I remember us laughing and falling into a pile of leaves,"

I had my first drink at the age of nine. One of my most vivid memories of childhood was the Sunday afternoon my parents allowed my sister and me to each have a glass of sherry. It stands out as a powerful memory because of the transforming effect alcohol had on me. After drinking, my sister and I played in the leaves, and I remember us laughing and falling into the leaf piles. I felt joyful, warm to the soul, and charged with life. How could I not want those feelings again?

I remember, at 10 years old, smoking a joint with my parents. Thirty minutes later I was pitching a Little... Login to read more
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