Across the Editor's Desk

Here's a note from a reader who wants to know if we can do anything about the party host or hostess who unwittingly puts the spotlight on an AA guest. "He or she," reads the complaint, "goes around the circle taking orders for Scotch, Bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, rum, beer, vermouth and sherry. Comes my turn. Instead of asking, 'How about you?' the well-meaning but thoughtless host, who knows I'm on the program, loudly exclaims, 'And for you we have cherry pop, cranberry juice, milk, lemon fizz and ice water. What'll it be?' The other guests suddenly stop talking and focus their attention on me while I wrestle with the generous offer. Then, for the rest of the evening, come the inevitable and irritating questions as to why I'm not belting the booze with the rest of them. What's to be done about this?"