I never started

I am a non-drinker.

I get asked, “Why?” and feel like I never have a clear answer.

When I was younger, I went to a high school several towns away and lived quite a distance from most of my friends. Our parents would always drive to get-togethers. I also worked many evenings and weekends. School, band, work, and lots of driving. I was busy.

Even at occasions where alcohol was available, it never felt like the right thing to do.

College saw me wasting time making music and MUDding and detecting submarines and path-finding (search for my name) and counting things. Lots of folks start drinking during their college years, but for me, it felt like my path was already set.

I came across this gem of a quote from John D. Rockefeller in a recent Paul Graham post about startups and corporate development:

Boys, do you know why I never became a drunkard?
Because I never took the first drink.

I could look back at my life and come up with lots of little reasons which explain why I don’t drink.

The simplest answer: I never started.