Tonight Is Amateur Night

I have heard New Years Eve referred to as Amateur Night. "Why?" I asked. The reply was, "On this night many people who don't get drunk all year do so while celebrating this occasion. "Well if they are amateurs what constitutes being a professional?" A professional doesn't need a special once a year occasion to drink to excess. They will do it because their dog died, it's someone's birthday, it Labor day, it's Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday etc. It is their way of life. Drinking comes before family, friends and work. It becomes their full time job. It is how they deal with life and life's problems. They are blind to the fact that their drinking is adding to their list of troubles. It can't be. Booze is their friend. It's what makes it possible to get past the difficulties. They honestly believe that they wouldn't have most of their problems if people would only leave them alone. Like I said,blind.

For most of the evening revelers waking up New Year's Day with a hangover is about all they will suffer. Some will wake fearing the consequences of what they said. Some will feel embarrassed for what they did last night. A few will wake up in jail and other will wake in hospitals and some won't wake at all. Even amateurs can lose out big time. I wonder, is the changing of a number on the calendar worth the risk of overindulgence?