My mother was quite the party girl when she was in her 20’s. She drove intoxicated on more than one occasion and often said that it was a miracle that she never got hurt or killed someone. She often said that she’d used up all of her luck and part of mine too and was relentless in telling me not to drink and drive.I was a willing student for the most part. Our young next door neighbor was killed in a drunk driving accident and it marked me and made me understand that just because you are young does not make you invincible.
My parents were also quite liberal about alcohol. We always had a full bar and my parents often offered to make me a drink and let me find out what it was like to get drunk in the comfort and safety of my own home. I had had wine from a pretty young age and had tasted the hard stuff numerous times and never took them up on the offer. This cavalier attitude affected me in the way that I saw no point in sneaking off to get drunk with my friends.
However, on one occasion I decided to be one in the crowd when an older friend, who was driving, said he would “stay straight” so we could all get wasted. And wasted was what I got. But not so wasted that I didn’t notice my designated driver having a beer. I confronted him right then and there and told him I wasn’t letting him drive me home. I then took off into the night and walked about 2 miles to a convenience store with a pay phone (this was before cell phones, kiddies!).
I called my mother and told her I was drunk and needed a ride. She had promised me that she would pick me up, no questions asked, if I EVER needed it. I had mostly sobered up during the walk and was almost completely sober by the time she got there.
I got in the car and she said we weren’t going to talk then since I was drunk and we would discuss it in the morning. I said that I wasn’t drunk anymore, but that I was PISSED!
I was mad that I had trusted someone to stay sober so I could get drunk. From that day on, I have only trusted three people in this world to stay sober: my husband who doesn’t drink, my mother when she was alive, and ME.
That’s right, ME. I know that I will be sober and have acted as the designated driver on many occasions while I watched friends be idiots while under the influence.
So this brings us to Disney World.
We have always stayed on property – meaning in a Disney hotel – while at Disney World. Disney hotel guests have access to free transportation. Disney World has awesome alcoholic choices. And voila! It’s like a match made in Heaven for a control freak like me.
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