[at-l] alcohol and the AT...

[nealb at midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

I always carry some alcohol.  Sometimes a beer.  Sometimes wine.  Sometimes
hard stuff.  BUT, I do not drink regularly.  

Currently I drink wine once a week -- at Mass.  And even though I sometimes
attend more than one Mass on a Sunday, I only partake of the wine at one
Mass.  Maybe once a month I will have a beer or wine with a meal because I
just got paid.  And sometimes I will share with a friend.  But there are
weeks that go by that not one drop of alcohol touches my lips -- including
sacramental wine.

I like to carry something when I do an LD or a special hike.  But I reserve
it for "special" occassions, to cook with, or for medicinal purposes.  And I
will continue to do so even though I drink less now.

Awhile back, a TEE-TOTALER gave me and some friends a lecture about
drinking.  I politely interrupted them.  Told them we move on if they
allowed us to finish our meal.  We finished our meal.  Packed up and hiked
on.  I was tempted to dump my beer on their heads or to strangle them.  But
I would not waste good beer on them or the effort to do a Linda Blair to
their heads.  

I feel tolerance is preferable to anger.  I am out there to enjoy myself and
I try to respect others feelings: If it were a church group with children, I
would not drink.  Just as I hope they would respect mine.  But if they do
not, I just move on.  Staying around would just cause trouble and make MY
HIKE less enjoyable.

As to tobacco and dogs...  Don't have pets currently and don't smoke.

Of course I hope pet owners keep their animals under control -- less going
off trail to use the bathroon.  And I hope smokers get away from the
shelters; especially when I am already there.

William, The Turtle.

PS	Now this may be a camping legend, but I heard that a group of
smokers came to a shelter.  They lighted their smokes even though they knew
one of the young ladies in the shelter had a BAD headache and asked them not
to smoke.  Her friends had to carry her to a camping site.  And they left a
bag of goodies -- chocolate bars.  The smokers ate them.  Only the bars were
made of one of those chocolate laxitives.

Granted it could be just a story.  But I know of people who have used
chocolaxitives for a practical joke or to get revenge.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Williams [mailto:edwilliams@plangraphics.com]
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 10:34 AM
To: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [at-l] alcohol and the AT...


On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 07:20:39 PST,
hike-usa@pocketmail.com wrote:
> 
> My opinion:
> 
> If you can't put alcohol aside for the duration of a
> hike, then
> look within yourself to determine why...
> 
<snip>

And my opinion:

The same can be said about tolerance.  If you can't
foster a spirit of tolerance and open-mindedness for
others for the duration of a hike, then look within
yourself to determine why...

(yes, I know, there's more to it than "that", but I
like to simplify)

Ed "2004 GA->ME, from time to time drinks a cold beer,
has an evil stick of tobacco, and snores, with an
occassional fart throughout the night yet tents instead
of using shelters, as not to offend those less tolerant"
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