Happy St. Patricks Day. And for my fellow Irish man, “Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!” Coming from an Irish background, my father was Irish, and I married an Irish man in my early twenties. (I also divorced an Irish man in my early twenties, but that is a whole non-alcohol-related story) Once I had turned 18, St Patrick’s day was a full day and night in London, visiting all the Irish pubs, we would take the day off work and the 18th as we knew we would be no good to go to work the next day. We would listen to the bands, sing, dance, drink, drink and drink some more, and there would always be somewhere selling bacon and cabbage. I would have a hangover for about a week after those days out. The attached photo was taken on St Patrick’s day 2009. I had been sober since October 2008, and I had been looking at the pint for nearly an hour before I decided to drink it. Five months without a drink, and before long, I was back to drinking alcoholically.
March 9th, 2012, I had checked myself into The Haynes clinic in Bedford. It was a rehab to get sober finally and for good. I will write all about this experience in another post. Still, of course, my time there crossed over St Patrick’s day. OH, MY GOODNESS NO MORE ST PATRICKS DAYS, Once again a genuine fear. My Dad, who had passed away in 2000, loved a Guinness, especially on St Patrick’s day. I would always raise a toast to him with a Guinness. I felt sad, and I was upset that my Dad would think that I did not love him if I no longer raised a glass to him on St Patricks or any day. Now I know that this is not true, and my Dad would and is incredibly proud of me. So, what are you doing on this St. Patricks Day? Has Covid-19 put a stop to your celebrations? or will you be waking up tomorrow with the mother of hangovers? If your drinking is out of control and you wish to stop, contact me.