1. My parents are not drinkers at all.
Both my parents seldom drink alcohol. They are extremely adverse to the substance. I know why my father does not drink it. One time when he was in college, he saw a pretty bowl of wine. He thought the pretty bowl of wine would be tasty or good to try out. But when he actually tasted the wine, he found out that the wine tasted extremely bitter. I am not sure why my mother does not drink it. Not drinking alcohol does not mean they do not keep alcohol in the house. Occasionally, they would buy a bottle of wine - whatever brand - and give it as a gift, because wine bottles are pricey enough to be the perfect gift and to show off personal wealth.
They would also keep wine bottles, given by friends over the years, and store the wine bottles in the little wine cellar rack (the rack was there when they bought the house). I think one of the bottles is about 10 years old now, and it has never been opened. Sometimes, they would buy a six-pack of beer cans for a party, but that pack would be exclusively for guests. If the guests did not consume the cans entirely, then my father would pick up one unopened can and finish it to avoid the beer going to waste. Like I said, my father does not like drinking alcohol that much, so if there are too many unopened beer cans, then my mother would use the leftover unopened beer cans in cooking. The cooking process would infuse the beer flavor into the food, and the alcohol content would be starkly reduced.
2. I didn't want to get into trouble with the law.
The legal drinking age in the United States is 21. Vendors cannot sell or offer any alcoholic beverages to minors or people under that age. This includes the vast majority of college students. Despite the age limit, some college students still have access to alcohol and may throw parties with alcohol. This leads to drunk driving, wild partying, sexual assault, and other indiscretions.
I realize that my high school classmates, who had been brought up in Christian environments, would ask the teacher about communion, and the teacher would explain that the wine in communion has low concentration of alcohol and is given in extremely low doses, so that is tolerable. Later, as I learned more about Christianity through self-study, I found out that some Christian denominations rejected the use of alcohol in communion, preferring to use grape juice instead, or even dropped the practice altogether, believing it to be unbiblical or unchristian.
For me, I didn't care about that religious stuff, even though it was interesting to know. I just cared about following the law. Getting pulled over for a DUI is not cool and leaves a bad mark on the driving record.
3. My first sip of alcohol left a bad impression in me.
When I was 21 years old, I thought about going to the bar on the college campus. I am not sure why a bar would appear on the college campus in the student union building, when most traditional students are below the drinking age. I suppose non-traditional students, graduate students, faculty members, staff, and older visitors are more likely to use the bar.
Anyway, the bartender was offering free samples of beer. I tried one. It tasted awful and burned my tongue. I immediately had to spit it out, because I couldn't handle the burning sensation anymore. I was afraid that the substance would burn my esophagus.
4. Subsequent experiences were equally awful.
A local grocery store offered wine samples. I thought wine must taste better than beer, wouldn't it? Well, the good thing about wine was that it didn't burn as much as beer. I could swallow it safely. However, it had an extremely bitter taste and aftertaste. Fortunately, the wine at the sample stand was accompanied by cheese, which completely cleansed the palate.
5. Alcohol contains a relatively high amount of calories per gram.
Alcohol is a high-calorie substance. In one gram of alcohol, there are 7 calories! In one gram of pure fat, there are 9 calories. And in a gram of protein or carbohydrate, there are only 4 calories. Therefore, it is not surprising that alcohol is linked to fatty liver disease, even though non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cirrhosis of the liver exist in obese people.
6. Not drinking alcohol means going to bars is useless to me - and that's a very good thing!
Bars, pubs, and nightclubs have a seedy reputation. They are associated with hook-up culture. Men and women go in, get a drink, meet new people, and chill. People who repeatedly live in this toxic environment may never learn how to outgrow it and mature into functional adults. They live a wild life, hooking up without caring for the consequences. We don't live in a world where alcoholic beverages are cleaner and more sanitary than water. We can just drink water. It's free, whereas alcohol usually costs a lot of money. So, it makes economical sense to drink ONLY water. The body can tolerate more water than alcohol, and water nourishes the body's cells. Therefore, biologically, water is the healthier choice. And alcohol does not make you look cool. Fruits and vegetables do. They give you the nutrients you need to stay healthy, while alcohol robs away your youth.
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