Web Exclusive: Dark Clouds, Silver Lining

After graduation, I told Grandma that I didn’t want to go to college right away. I said that I wanted to live life a little. She wasn’t thrilled with that, of course, but she went along with it. I had an apartment of my own, and worked managing a gas station. I started drinking at about 13. Mom bought my booze because she wanted a drinking buddy. Of course, I didn’t drink at Grandma’s, but I did sniff some glue to tide me over. Well, after I moved into my own apartment, I started drinking again. I would drink about 2 pints of 190 proof, 95% pure grain alcohol over the course of a day, including at work. I was a functioning drunk, meaning that I won Employee of the Year 3 years in a row while I was drinking on the job.