Post #327054 by The Gnomon on Tue, Aug 21, 2007 10:39 AM

On 2007-08-10 17:22, Mai Tai wrote:
Yeah, in the land of the free, people make a huge effort to save us from ourselves, 'cause lord knows, we just can't be trusted to control ourselves. And their efforts obviously work, becuase absolutely none of us on Tiki Central, or in the good ol' USA, have EVER tried alcohol before age 21, or whatever the legal limit was.

I had my first Mai Tai at the Lahaina Inn in Maui when I was 14. It was actually Aunt Mary's Mai Tai. After a long lecture on the definition of a perfect Mai Tai (which the one she was holding was supposed to be), I talked her into letting me try hers (I laid a guilt trip on her for boasting about it and then not sharing—hee hee). I gulped it down and it was the best, in any language. She and Aunt Sheila freaked 'cause they thought I'd just take a sip. I did leave about a third in the glass. Back then they were serving them in tall glasses (15-16 oz?). Took the edge off my incredibly painful sunburn though. That was a fantastic day!

Anyway, I can sympathize with people who allow their kids to have a drink once in a while under their supervision. The gub'ment is always trying to "help" us to live "better" lives. There was a time when you could spank your kid to discipline them. When you did, they might not understand yet why (eventually they would), but they were careful not to walk down that path again without weighing the consequences. I bet just about all of the most respected members of society were spanked at some point as kids. Now if you spank a kid, thanks to the gub'ment, the kid ends up in foster care 'cause the parents get arrested for child abuse. Only in America (the United States thereof to be specific).

I had drinks from time to time as a kid and look at me. I turned out OK. Hold on. Gotta get the phone. I think it's my parole officer. Yep. Gotta go now. Catch you on the flipside.