Economy Got You Thinking About Drinking?

Truth is, you’re not alone. Historically, when economies take a turn for the worse, sales of alcohol, cigarettes and guns increase. I know for a fact gun shops are packed (I waited on line in a few to be told items were out of stock or simply unavailable), I haven’t seen this many people smoking since the 80’s, and alcohol consumption reports are projected to show a ninth year of steady increase.

There is not a place in the developed world that you can hide from bad news on the economy. From downtown Manhattan to the bayous of Louisiana, people are talking about job losses, corporations collapsing and federal bailouts. The common saying nowadays around average people is “where’s my bailout?” The question may end up being awarded the catch phrase of 2009.

Americans most likely won’t see any sort of personal bailout; last I read, we may get tax cuts equaling around $500 per family for the year. All I can say is whoopity-doo; how’s a few dollars less taken out of each paycheck going to help me or the economy – if the company I work for crumbles and I don’t have a job?!

I personally am getting tired of hearing people talk about losing 40-50% of their 401Ks, or their investment portfolio tanking, or “my stock broker can’t guarantee returns anymore.” Like many of you, we were never able to have those things in the first place.

The people of Dirty Tractor have a saying which helps us feel a little better about the whole mess: “I’m surviving the economic meltdown… all I have to lose is debt anyway.”

And that, my friends, is also the truth.


Photo: The newest shirt at the Dirty Tractor apparel shop.

New Book Contains a Collection of Addiction Stories

A new book called "Moments of Clarity" has just been released containing a collection of stories about the "harrowing life of addiction." It was featured recently on ABC News and has stories from both famous and everyday people who have tales to tell about their fight with drugs and alcohol.

The compilation was headed by Christopher Kennedy Lawford - a member of the Kennedy family. We try to keep politics aside on the Dirty Tractor Blog, so FYI - the Kennedy name has nothing to do with us mentioning the book.

What's important is the stories within and how they can help others with their addiction issues. The effort seems genuine.

An excerpt from the summary story on ABC News:

I thought, "This is bad. This is as bad as it can get." What I felt was just a little bit darker than what I'd felt the day before, but that little bit was enough to finally put me over the edge. I knew I could not exist anymore in that state. I had to either die or change, and I didn't have a gun to put in my mouth, so I had to change, and the only way I could change was to surrender. So I did. I said, to what ever was out there, "You know what? I give up. I absolutely, unequivocally give up. I'm not talking about, 'I give up so I can fight another day.' What ever you want me to do, I'll do it." And I realize now, that was it. That was the opening through which grace entered my life.

The book itself is featured on a Harper Collins Publishers page, and for a video clip from ABC News, click here.

It seems like it should be a good read.

Family, Holidays and Boilermakers

“Fish & visitors stink in 3 days.” –Benjamin Franklin

With the major holiday season now over, we all have a little more time to reflect on what it was that just happened. Sitting in a room filled with already broken toys, a 8 foot tall dead Christmas tree and burned out yankee candles, it occurred to me once again that the holidays cause more stress than what they are worth.

This year I had made a whole-hearted effort to drink less than the previous years, and the plan was going along just fine… until the thought of family coming over pushed me back to a regimen of eggnogs and beer - holiday boilermakers, if you will.

Normally dealing with family is stressful enough, but add in the extraordinary cooking of traditional meals, the decorations all being in the perfect spot, the house smelling of northern pine (rather than burnt cookies), it’s difficult to cope. Many family members you only see once a year during the holidays, so you have to figure out what it was you did of importance over the past 12 months so you can sound like you’ve got things all figured out.

Unfortunately this year, when it came time to talk about all the great things I did since I saw the family last, all I could think of was “do we have enough eggnog left to get me through the night?” Truth is, I know I did a few great things over the past year, but because I drank a little too much the family probably thought I was a flake again and slightly aloof.

Stress and holidays… It has finally hit me what happened this season – I allowed circumstances beyond my control get the better of me again.

We can’t make everyone enjoy the decorations we have up, or like the food we serve; in fact we can’t even force them to have civilized conversation with each other. Why year after year after year should this be so stressful? You can’t control other people (especially adults) whatsoever – but we can control ourselves, and in doing so keep from feeling bad about breaking a promise to yourself… and making another new year’s resolution to "cool it" on the alcohol.

I think I’ll go pack up the decorations now with little reminder notes that say “it’s my house and if they don’t like how I do things, then they don’t have to come over… PS: stay away from holiday boilermakers – they think you’re a flake.”