Sober 44 years since 9/1/1960, Jim remembers the ads for liquor that showed a man drinking like A Distinguished Gentleman.
His drinking was not so distinguished.
Jim was a nightly TV news anchor in Cleveland, OH. He told me once he had to drink enough to get rid of the shakes but not so much that he slurred his words on the air. Tough balance to hit every night.
Jim lost that job and wound up in the care of Sister Ignatia at Rosary Hall Solarium in Cleveland's Charity Hospital - the same sister who opened the doors to alcoholics for Dr. Bob in Akron, OH in the 1940's.
When Jim left Rosary Hall, Sister gave him a card. He thought it would say something like "My prayers are with you."
Instead it said, "Pray for me."