Surrender—Literally and Figuratively

I was raised in a middle-class suburban household with two loving parents. We had the usual challenges—Dad pre-occupied with work, Mom dealing with aging parents. In the late 80’s, my household contained two rambunctious older brothers who gave me ample opportunity to test the boundaries of acceptable behavior. At one point in my middle school career, my oldest brother had a 500 person 18th birthday toga party. My drinking career started with sips of beer at this party and several other family weddings where I volunteered to tend bar then promptly proceeded to drink too much and throw up and pass out.