Wonderful choices to be made

Christmas ‘82. We are rewinding the editorial tape this week.

I was living in Sandpoint, Idaho, editing copy for the Daily Bee and dating a young lady who had a hyperactive four-year-old son. An old buddy and I  went out Christmas shopping for Bo, bought a drum set for him and a bottle of brandy for ourselves. We bootlegged both bundles through the door after Bo went to bed.

Barry and I assembled the drum set while emptying the jug and passed out in the living room. Bo came bouncing down the stairs at 4 a.m. Christmas morning, spotted the drums, and proceeded to play the anvil chorus for hours while Barry and I held our hungover heads and listened to the hammers of hell.

The point? The holidays, for many of us, carry the option of substance abuse. Liquid, powder, or herbal Christmas cheer is part and parcel of the season for many.

And the end result isn’t always just a couple of sorry sinners listening to a kid pounding a drum. It can be a husband pounding a wife. Or a speeding car pounding into a tree. One of the three scenarios is mildly funny, especially with nearly 25 years of hindsight and lifestyle change. The other two are tragic.

You make your own choices as you celebrate the season. Those choices are a signal for your kids as to what behavior is OK and what isn’t. Make smart choices. If you’re wondering about your choices, or if someone who loves you worries about your choices, ask for help.

Help is free. It’s readily available. Seeking that help might be the perfect Christmas gift for your family. The choice is yours. It’s your life, your holiday, your kid.

Maybe even your drum set.