Become friends or say goodbye?

Bad news from the Central Bureau of Statistics last Friday. Despite the National Prevention Agreement from 2018, we are still overweight. And we smoke and drink too much. 7.3% of adults drink excessively, 8.3% is heavy drinker.

A quick explanation: excessive drinkers drink more than 21 glasses (men) or more than 14 glasses (women) per week. You are a heavy drinker if you drink 6 or more glasses of alcohol in one day at least once a week (men) or drink 4 or more glasses of alcohol in one day at least once a week (women).

The good news is that by these definitions I am a moderate drinker at best. Once in a while at music camp I sometimes have a week in between that I clock more than 21 glasses. But then there are also jugs of wine on the table at lunch. The last time I drank 6 or more glasses must have been over 30 years ago.

Yet I drink more than I would like. That's a pattern I see among fellow bloggers. You'll get through Dry January without too many problems, but after that you'll soon be back at your old level. Or at least higher than you intended. That is the addictive effect of alcohol.

20 years ago I bought the book 'Never hangover again' by Allen Carr. You see, I've been involved with alcohol for a long time. I've been scouring my bookcase for the past few days, but I can't find the book anymore. If I remember correctly, Carr is drawing a comparison between alcohol and a carnivorous plant. A fly lands on the calyx of the plant, lured by a sticky sweetener. Yummy! While eating it goes further and further into the chalice. And if he wants to fly away, he's stuck.

At the end of the book, Carr states that the only way to escape is to leave in time. I thought that was a setback. I just wanted a middle ground. Well, alcohol, and measure up. Stay the boss. Quitting alcohol completely was not the message I was looking for. But that image of that fly didn't let go of me either.

I haven't had a drink since January 1. Or almost no more drinking. It's getting easier for me. But yesterday I stood in front of my drinks cabinet:

• A bottle of Calvados brought from Normandy.
• A bottle of port my son gave me last Christmas.
• A special bottle of Rutte old jenever, matured in sherry casks – bought a few years ago to break in with my old neighbor, but he died before we could start. The bottle hasn't arrived yet.
• A bottle of Irish whiskey, gift from my harmonica students at the last lesson.

Never drink again? I do not know yet. The challenge may be making friends with alcohol. A long time ago I imposed the restriction on myself not to drink before 9:30 in the evening. It works very well for me to stick to it. But other restrictions are a lot trickier. Like only on weekends.

Well, let's go to Easter first. And next week is my birthday. But as the mindset is now, I expect to get through the party without alcohol.