Bad Judgment

I knew I had to get this out of my head as soon as it came up. I had a friend. She had a good heart and was a good friend to me, but suffice to say we got in a lot of trouble together in several different states.

She had a son, who had to witness some tough stuff along the way, including this friend having to go to jail and get sober. There was one night in her jail stay she needed me to stay with him (this was not a regular occurrence, but the request was borne out of her limited options).

I, of course, said yes. But, like an idiot, I brought a bottle of wine to drink. Her son saw it, and immediately questioned me. And I lied to him. I don’t remember what I said, bit I know I lied to him.

This poor kid had just seen his mom get taken away for drinking and had probably heard a million frail promises in the past how there’d be no more alcohol in the house ever, and what do I do?

I bring in some wine and drink it.

Now, in my defense: It was a few years before my own brush with the law and court-ordered alcohol treatment. And I was a selfish, clueless idiot.