It Just Figures

Knew it, I just knew there was a damn good reason why I was personally never attracted to imbibing alcohol of any kind. Aside from the miserable taste of it, the prospect of not being in a position to fully comprehend what's happening around you, or with you, simply doesn't appeal. I've always felt it to be distasteful that people would need the assistance of mind-numbing drink to find a comfort level for interaction with others. Let alone the possibility that people would drink to excess.

With the inevitable outcome; lack of self-control, and presentation of behaviour not quite palatable. Call me a party-pooper, a social prude or whatever seems appropriate, I simply have no personal interest in drinking alcohol, no matter how it presents itself. I harbour no ill will to those who wish to drink. And experience no problems being in the company of those who drink moderately, enjoying a goblet of wine with their meals; it's civilized and more than acceptable.

From the time I was a child and my uncle by marriage offered to let me have a drink of his beer although I recoiled at the offensive odour of it and he was aware of my distaste even then, I've found that drinking as a social relaxant is particularly disgusting. Wine far less so. And hard liquor of any kind simply not to my liking. I'm not the kind of person who makes others comfortable at a cocktail party, but I have, on occasion, held a wine glass at such occasions to give comfort to others.

It's been my studied observation that people who drink to excess likely possess a half-brain to begin with. Now new studies in alcohol consumption and how it affects people seems to come to the same conclusion, somewhat. Except their controlled study led them to the conclusion that drinking is responsible for shrinking the brain. In reverse, as it happens, to my theory. Oh yes, previous study has revealed that moderate alcohol consumption may be good for heart health.

But what good is a healthy heart when you've reduced your brain to partial competence and eventually mush? Right, the dedicated drinkers might contend that who cares, happiness is gained by mushing the brain and light-heartedly facing life through a haze of alcoholic stupor. Go to it, friend, if that's how valuable the experience of living a life fully cognizant of all its complex interactions seems to you.

But the study published in the journal 'Archives of Neurology', pointing out that the more alcohol one consumes, the smaller the total brain volume is destined to result in, is compelling evidence, as far as I'm concerned, that anyone who imbibes to excess, can't be too bright to begin with. Obviously, less so for the modest drinkers. Oh, the study also points out that women in particular are more impacted by deleterious alcohol effects than men.

Lower brain volume not only means you've got far less to work with, but evidently it also speaks of a deranged brain, increasing the risk of dementia, along with full utilization of the brain, in thinking, learning and memory retention. Isn't it something like playing Russian roulette with life on a fairly robust scale?