Am I an Alcoholic or a Normal Drinker?

I was at a bar with coworkers yesterday and opted for the Soda Water Lime Special of the Day. I got a strange look from one of my fellow department heads. I knew what was on his mind. So, before he could ask, I told him I was taking a break from drinking.



His eyes squinted a look of disbelief and asked "why?"



"I'm taking a break. No big deal," I replied hoping that would be the end of the interrogation. But, it wasn't.



He asked me if I was an "alcoholic or a normal drinker."



Now it was my turn to ask the questions. I have known alcoholics that have gone way over the edge to the point of needing rehab to recover. I didn't think that was me. But the other option got me thinking. "What is a normal drinker?"



Is there even such a thing as a normal drinker? This concept just didn't make sense to me. I thought about it in other cases.



What is a normal smoker? What is a normal pothead? What is normally obese? The problem, of course, with all these situations is that they are not normal at all. They are abnormal.



So, am I an abnormal drinker?



I have come to realize this. It is not one glass of wine. It's the bottle. It's not one beer. It's the six-pack. When someone sees themselves in this way, they have to realize that what they are doing is not normal. 



You have just enough of a problem to wonder if you have a problem. You're not completely over the edge. But, you're one little slip from a big fall. So, I stayed away from the edge with my soda water and lime.



One thing I could appreciate when I left that bar, besides the zero bill, was that when I slipped behind the wheel to drive home, I felt like a normal driver.