[the_old_crowd] Drinking, Schminking, was Re: Ethics, Schmethics

[Waldo Glatisant]

--- quigonginger <quigonginger at ...> wrote:

> Hagrid, bless his heart, is pretty much the
> same social class as I, so I've never been 
> put off by his drinking.

Not really sure that it is a class issue. Of course,
no one in my family ever belonged to a country club,
went to a prep school or an ivy league school. My
parents' generation were the first to go to college.
None of us trace any lineage to nobility or to the
Mayflower. And on the other hand, there is plenty o'
drinking at those country clubs and ivy league
schools. 

Having said that, I tend to agree with regard to
Hagrid (and the Fat Lady). At best, Hagrid is an
episodic drinker, and I am not sure that he is any
less functional than Trelawney. I actually think that
Trelawney has the real problem with booze, not so much
Hagrid. He may drink more, but she seems to drink
because she has to. I am sure she is depressed and has
situational stressors as well, but that doesn't make
her any less of a drunk. She gives every impression of
being a chronic daily drinker, even though her drink
of choice is sherry. She drinks just to get by.
Functional? I don't really know what that would mean
in her case. She is able to function as a "right old
fraud." She's basically hanging on to a vague
semblance of "functional" by a thread, in that she is
still sucking air and is able to find her classroom
where she can prattle on with her fortune telling
quackery. 

> Winky, on the other hand, I worry about.  She isn't
> drinking 
> socially.  She is drinking from depression.  (Side
> thought- Winky at 
> a 12-step meeting, would fail on the first step-
> "Winky has no Higher 
> Power!  Winky has clothes!")  Poor thing.  I really
> pity her.

Yes, that is my fantasy. I want to see Trelawney and
Winky form their own little support group at Hogwarts
and have their meetings in the RoR. 

Peace out,

John Barleycorn

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