Alcoholic

He’d been a drinker from a young age. By his 21st birthday, he was a full-on alcoholic. He drank, got drunk, fell down … and no one said anything. Then, a summer day, driving in downtown Pittsburgh, stopped at a red light with the windows down, a policeman sauntered up to his car, leaned in close, sniffed and said, “I ought to take you down to the station.” The light went green. He drove off slowly, eyes straight ahead, a prayer on his lips. He told me, “Those were the words I needed to hear. I’m dry to this day.”