Some of my early memories involving alcohol was my father making Home Brew, a beer that was made in his special 10 gallon UHL crock. As I recall, it would take about a week for this brew to be ready to consume.

The next step was to bottle and cap the beer. Yeast was used in the process of making the brew and if it was still active when they bottled the stuff, it would make the bottles explode after a few days.

The beer was stored under the house to keep it as cool as possible. There were no refrigerators. Sometimes it was put down in the old well and brought back up with a rope when they wanted to drink it. Sometimes my dad would siphon the beer directly out of the crock and drink it before they bottled it.

He and my uncle often shared their alcohol. Consuming whiskey was also in great favor. I don’t remember the brand they drank, but I remember the shape of the bottle. They did not drink it over ice or out of a glass, they drank it straight from the bottle and passed it back and forth.

My uncle did not handle hard liquor very well and would treat his family very poorly, we all were fearful when they were getting loaded. Sometimes I think we were sent to bed early so we would not have to witness the going’s on.

Children in an alcoholic family are often shunned as the prejudices of society puts them in a position thats hard to work out of. A lot of kids don’t make it and follow the footsteps of the parent who is suffering with alcoholism. We see it all the time. It often goes on for generations. A lot of them end up being incarcerated.

In my book Miles from Home I have shared some of my personal experiences existing in an alcoholic home. Memories last for ever.

My saving grace was a very loving mother and a tough old grandpa who did not touch the stuff. When you see a kid that needs a helping hand, please try to find a way to lend a helping hand. If the child is 8 years old and life expectancy is 80, your act of kindness could improve their next 72 years. That should make you feel good inside.