vintage years

BOOZE. WHERE I come

’ from it was a part of iife, an
expected concomitant-of all
“mixed social gatherings, and
paramount to those designed
only for men.

A gathering of ladies brought
-out the tea and cakes, and if the
Mayor came to offer. support of a
‘’, community effort he also had tea
and cakes. But when night fell,
every gentleman's choice naturally ©
’ ,took the form of booze, in those
rugged parts, in those tough old
days.

The legal age for drinking alco-
hol in the ‘30s was 21, so for #
> good six of those prior years it was
my job to learn to deliver the stuff
“properly, The tray of sherry to the
ladies, first of ail.

: For the gentlemen, however,
must approach each one with arms
crosses, the bottle of his choice in
one hand, the glass in the other. ©
One. must never pour a man’s ‘ ;
drink, he alone’ must be’ arbiter of ©
its depth. To\do otherwise was to

cast aspersion on his masculinity or :

his upbringing.

. Liquor stores have gone through
a metamorphosis i in the years.

: between, which is good in some:
ways, but availability and seductive

advertising can prove too much for

“the ‘susceptible.
. And to our sorrow, there is a°
signific cant number amongst us old
people, women. mostly, partly for.
demographic reasons, who are -
finding comfort in ‘alcohol ‘and
ruining what's left of life. A drink,
or.a handful of pills; either or both
cait be had, not without money
mind you, but at what Physical and

“mental cost? :

The’ money is probably. the least
cer — the important thing is’
"get the stuff whatever it costs

and worry, about the rent and the

: tle S$

groceries and the phone bill anoth-
er time, And it's a lot easier to dis-

card that worry if you're half-cut
day after day.

But then there's the other end to
deal with, feelings of guilt and
shame and depression in the times
between the drinks or the pills and
you can't ask for help because if
you do sure as guns theyll want
you to quit.

That's not part of your plans at
all. You don’ tL want to start thinking
of why you're drinking too much,
better to pretend everything is all
OK. But it's so dreary, and it’s an
awful waste and it's not going to
go away, and the people who love
you are broken-hearted.

There is help. right here in our
neighborhood, right at the end of
your phone line. They can help.
Really. There are people who know
what being in that kind of trough is
like, people who hate to see you
getting sucked in and down, wast-'
ing your qualities, wasting your
life. They can help you see through
what's killing you, if you'll let °
them.

I don’t like to call them agen-.

- cies, it sounds so impersonal,

starchy, but each group is made up
of real people, really keen people
who truly. want to see you serene

_ and optimistic again,

They're not busybodies. they'r re
rescuers,

One especially I'd like you to
mect, name of Jane, Jane Cassady
itis. She has a lovely friendly open -
way with her, and.a quick and
charming sense of humor. She's
thoroughily trained in the lore of ©
gerontology (that’s us old folks).
but she's also learned to use that
training to good advantage as’a .

“counsellor. She went from studies
in the University in Victoria to an
advanced program at Simon Fraser
University and has been dealing
with people's problems with drugs
and alcohol for quite a while.

She has had this setup only six
months, but already she’s had over
50 referrals. The program is called

“STRIVE. For more information
call 926-9260. '

Next week is Drug Awareness
Week and there is a public forum

on Wednesday, Nov. 22 from 9:30 .

a.m. to noon, at North Shore
Neighbourhood House about this
problem. All sorts of people are

expected to be there, members of
families worried sick, the agency
people who are in direct contact

with the problem, anyone with a
good idea about what to do. ©

UNICEF greeting |:

cards are available at:

’ This holiday season, don’t
just send greetings. Send
‘help to kids around the
world with UNICEF cards

Overwaitea
Safeway
Purdy’s Chocolates
Save-On-Foods
Super Valu
Park Royal

-Heart’s, Deep Cove

Capers
and
Carol’s of West
Vancouver

For more
information:
6604) $74- 3506 .

Mr. ].S. Cameron, Chairman of the West: Vancouver Foundation, .,
is pleased to announce the appointment of Barbara Arnold
as Executive Director of the Foundation...

‘Mrs, Arnold isa graduate of the University of Western Oniario,
and has been employed in a number of fund raising positions:
They include the University of Alberta, the. Vancouver General Hospital,
Mount Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation in Vancouver, and the. Fraser
Burrard Hospital Society in New Westmiaster.

Mrs. Arnold, in addition to her fund raising responsibilities, will supervise
the Administration ‘and Grant. functions of the Foundation, —

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