"I drink to deal w/ assholes - This includes myself." -Jim Morrison
Jim also said he prefers alcohol to drugs because it's much more accessible. Moreover, a well known fan of Dionysus (and Nietzsche's Apollonian/Dionysian Split detailed in his book: The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music).
Dionysus/Bacchus = the God of wine, theater, harvest, fertility and wild sex.
It is said that Dionysus commands respect. For if one is not drawn in by his mysterious and joyous charisma, his energies will naturally automatically work against the person who thinks negatively of Dionysus and will experience bad luck, fruitlessness (no fig trees), baroness and potential madness.
Henceforth, these are also the principles of his earthly offerings: wine.
If you partake in the drink with a good mind and keep and are able to balance you will experience joy, ecstasy, fruitfulness, liberation, intense intimacy. And, yet, if you over indulge or partake without the proper respect for the properties of the drink, it will turn against you and lead you to madness, a baron fruitlessness,poor luck, confinement and alienation.
The Romans and Greeks valued wine because of how it loosened the tongue enough to make someone more engaging, witty, theatrical, charming, delightful, intoxicating. And, yet again, if one wasn't careful and exercising good balance, it could be devastating.
Personally, I've always said that I do not trust someone who does not drink.
Please note, I do not say this lightly. I say this out of a deep understanding character based upon psychological principles - mainly, psychoanalytical.
When someone says, "I do not drink because I do not like to lose control of faculties and actions." Whoa, red flag. For this person does not even trust themselves so why the hell should I?
If someone says, "I don't drink anymore because I used to stupid things." Well, come on now! Quit using the alcohol as a scapegoat and put the blame where it belongs. The problem is deeper rooted within in you and calls for some work on your part to investigate and solve it. Ever heard of introspection? Self awareness? Psychoanalysis? Alcohol is not the problem. The problem is with you and your denial or laziness for finding truth.
Or how about this one, "Oh, I'm taking a break. I need to detox. I have to think about my drinking and cleanse myself." Ha! This person needs to detox and cleanse themselves from their own arrogant bull shit! If you were strong enough and healthy enough to have a proper balance within your own limits, you would not "need to take a break, man!"
I'm into drinking and have been since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I've been given wine with dinner and for celebrations ever since I can remember. Thus, I've cultivated a civilized respect for it and a civilized practice of drinking.
For me it's not something to do for romantic moments. For me the it's a romantic involvement with drinking per the ancient lineage of poetry and poets: "priests and priestesses of the unknown."
One would just need to pick-up and read Arthur Rimbaud, Jack London or Charles Bukowsky to understand this notion of romantic involvement with a "poetic drunk."
Best of California Stars,
Giovanni French