Son, never trust a man who doesn’t drink because he’s probably a self-righteous sort, a man who thinks he knows right from wrong all the time. Some of them are good men, but in the name of goodness, they cause most of the suffering in the world. They’re the judges, the meddlers. And, son, never trust a man who drinks but refuses to get drunk. They’re usually afraid of something deep down inside, either that they’re a coward or a fool or mean and violent. You can’t trust a man who’s afraid of himself. But sometimes, son, you can trust a man who occasionally kneels before a toilet. The chances are that he is learning something about humility and his natural human foolishness, about how to survive himself. It’s damned hard for a man to take himself too seriously when he’s heaving his guts into a dirty toilet bowl.
~James Arthur Crumley (October 12, 1939 – September 17, 2008)
The Wrong Case (1975)
I’ll have a few good, dark beers, but I won’t get drunk. I feel like people forget how awful for your body alcohol is. It’s not a virtue to drink, it makes you less able. What a messed up society where people who don’t drink are seen as whacky.
I have drank and done drugs smoked cigarettes all these things almost all my life. I am 31 now and I stopped smoking drinking for 2yrs now, and stopped drugs when I was around 24yrs old. From liquor to dark beers light beers to chain smoking to getting high in which I couldn’t move (marijuana) all in the past. Now to find ones true self when wasted well that’s a complete self experience in its own, and his meaning is just not accurate. I mean some become addicted, some become a happy drunk, some violent, some kill people, some become wife beaters, some make complete fools of them selfs, some die of alchol poisioning, some say stuff that’s hurtful mean harsh cold. Well moving on, one does not know there true self until drunk, this is a self opinion so there is really not one correct answer to this statment or quote. Why? Well when I drank became a happy drunk. I am a goofy happy person in life minus alchol, so when I drank I just became a lil more happier and goofy. So, to find ones true self is like I said an individual thing, its his own opinion, I know my trueself and even when sober I know my trueself, when drunk I know my trueself, yes I done goofy things that I would of been shy of doing when sober, but key word shy, now a days I can do all the goofy things I did drunk off my ass, as I could do sober, its called having fun regardless, I don’t need alchol to let lose, you just gotta find people who respect your decision not to drink, and who pratically don’t care if you drink or don’t drink, I don’t care myself if you drink or don’t, because I don’t judge. It was my own decision to stop drinking. One last thing, if anyone replys with, well I am sure you miss a social drink with someone or having a night out with buddies getting drunk or mildy drunk, list can go on. Yes I miss the aspect of having a social drink, but because society has put this idea in our heads for long long long time, brainwashed in a sense. Do we need alchol to be social nope, some people do or think they do, its all a mental thing in the end. Nowadays I realize I don’t myself need alchol to have fun. I can have as much fun as I did when I drank minus the hangover, vomiting, taking home a random wildabeast, being hungover till 10p.m, joints hurting, dehydration, severe headache, blackouts, driving drunk, getting in fights, public intoxication, eating stuff that would put your ass hole one fire or cause severe diahrrea the next day, well I think you get my idea. Well in the end, his meaning is self opinionated, its all an individual thing, a mental thing as well, and even a family upbringing thing as well, culture society you know all those nick nacks, and for those interested in why I stopped drinking, again I’m 31 now I have been drinking since I was 15. Its now time to start open a new chapter called health, have a family, wake up feeling good rested, but most importantly live a longer healthy life, and let’s see really quick, have better sex when sober, not make fool of self when talking to women when drunk, wake up naked in bath tub, vomit over friends new couch, pass out in front lawn, pass out in bar parking lot, I think y’all get my drift. Well don’t mind the grammar sorry, just making a quick passage. Well cheers my friends, don’t mind me I just have a lime and club soda, or cranberry juice, or a mineral water, as some of my friends would sat (wtf) but ehhh your having fun right yes I am, but I won’t wake up with a hangover ahahahaha. Cheers!!
Damn straight.
Wiki tells me that James Arthur Crumley was “a patron saint of the post-Vietnam private eye novel,” a cross between Raymond Chandler and Hunter S. Thompson. What’s not to love? Moreover, his book The Last Good Kiss has been described as “the most influential crime novel of the last 50 years.”
Now that’s a man after my own heart. Which I have, on rare occasion, heaved into a dirty toilet. In the most ladylike way, of course. ^_~
eric, i think you’re missing the point. this quote isn’t so much about drinking or drugs, it is about a man’s true character beneath their control and inhibitions. one often finds that the true nature of a man is revealed in moments when their inhibitions are released. times of great stress and trial would be equally as telling. you’re focusing on the wrong thing. in fact, you inadvertently make his point. you have things in you that are released when you let down your guard that frighten you. you lack an understanding, a deep awareness, and a peace within yourself if in a moment freed of your inhibitions you take up with wildabeasts, and become violent, bemoan the consequences of your overindulgence and even seek blame on society. you are more comfortable believing in your fragile, tenuous facade of control over your primal self, instead of being comfortable with what lies beneath. i would sooner trust a man who has confronted his demons and subdued them, than one who has faced them, fled and never returned.
I love drinking and I have done it all from one drink to throwing up all over the place….
But I drink because I like it and mostly I am happy and talk and act like a 3 year old.
So here’s to Maker’s Mark and Wild Turkey and George Dickel and all the rest.