Views

Five O’Clock Sometimes

22 Comments

I used to look forward to five o’clock, wherever I was living in the world, because that was the time I allowed myself a glass or two of wine. It was always red wine, the only alcoholic drink I drank, preferably Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile — dependable and affordable — good enough for me.

This was my daily treat to myself, akin to milk-and-cookies after school when I was a kid, a reward for the day’s labors. As the vino tinto slowly seeped through my body with each sip, I could feel knots in my stomach unknot and the built-up tensions of that day ease. I thought of this wine as pleasant medication, good in every way. It even helped to lower my cholesterol, I bragged to friends.

I was already well into my twenties before I’d had my first alcoholic drink. Up to that point I feared alcohol. I was afraid I might become like my father. Was the tendency toward alcoholism genetic, I wondered? Was it true that the Scots and the Irish are more prone to alcoholism than other ethnicities? (My father was a full-blooded Scot.)  Did he pass that gene, along with a love of books and reading, onto me? I didn’t want to tempt fate. I vowed I would never let that happen to me.

So, after I began to drink, tentatively and socially, in my twenties, I was always strict with myself: no more than two drinks on any given day; very seldom more, sometimes less or none. I would have only wine, and only red wine. I was in control. I’d grown up watching a man who was often out of control, and I didn’t want to be like him.

He had had such promise when he was young: tall, handsome, dashing, articulate, educated, athletic, he was like a character out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. I once discovered in my mother’s bedroom dresser drawer a faded photo of him when he was in his twenties. In this photo he’s wearing a smart, light-colored summer suit and a fedora tipped to one side, and he’s leaning jauntily against a stone wall. According to my mother, he was a ladies’ man then, a real charmer. She was one of many ladies he charmed.

I wasn’t. I knew him later, after the alcohol had taken over and he was someone else, after all his youthful promise had vanished. Curiously, none of us his four children, though we came of age in the ‘60s, ever found the alcohol or drug use among our cohorts appealing; we’d seen too closely for far too long what substance abuse could do.

We chose not to follow our father’s example. Our ‘60s rebellion was to go in the opposite direction. None of us used drugs or became alcoholics.

Now I find I must write about my pleasant, daily five o’clock wine ritual in the past tense. Alcohol in every form, I learned last fall when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, is, for me, on the long, long “Forbidden” list. I haven’t had a glass of wine since early October 2020. And I must say I miss it.

But this is the time of life, I’m finding, to try, with as much grace as possible, to let go of a lot of things. Red wine in the evening for me is one of those things.

So now, sometimes at five o’clock, I’ll fill a tall wine glass with cool, clean water, sip it slowly, and pretend.

22 thoughts on “Five O’Clock Sometimes”

  2. My father was also an alcoholic. My four siblings are not, but I did inherit the tendency. Happily I’m celebrating total sobriety since 1983 when I was dragged kicking and screaming to an AA meeting. Walked out 2 hours later and the desire to consume was gone. Yes, I believe in miracles.

    Reply

  3. Indeed, it’s the ritual that is sometimes more important than the drink itself. I usually don’t drink wine until I am sitting still for the night for that very reason. Love your water in a wine glass alternative! xoxox

    Reply

  4. I’ve heard from friends that tho they grew up with abuse from parents who were, the whole family became addicts. Apparently it can be learned behavior.

    Reply

    1. It’s such a complicated issue, isn’t it, Jamie. Some children of substance abusers follow in their parents’ footsteps and some flee in the opposite direction. No doubt other, outside, influences make a difference.

      Reply

  5. I think taking the time to sit at the end of the day, to relax, reflect, and enjoy, whether drinking a glass of wine or water, is the goal. But I do understand the allure of the glass of wine…..

    Reply

  7. I’m not drinking wine, either, Bonnie. But like you, I miss the stem and the bowl of the glass. I sometimes drink sparkling water and cranberry or pomegranate juice. Mi agua tinto.

    Reply

  10. Dear Bon,

    I’m so sorry this has happened to you, but how I admire your ability to react to it with wisdom and grace. This is a time when I wish I could put my arms around you and hold you. I always think you are the strongest person I know, and this trait is only one of the reasons why your friends love you so dearly. I am sorry about the wine, but giving up is a part of aging, as you say. As we age, I think it becomes easier to give up things that would have been difficult to do without when we were younger. We carry on because it’s what we were raised to do, and we are better for that. It’s not a skill a see among the young.

    All my love,
    Paul

    Reply

    1. Dearest Paul — How I would LOVE that hug from you! But your heartfelt words are the next-best thing. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your generous love and compassion. — xoxoxo

      Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.