Hello, I'm Lisa Simpson. I'm an alcoholic. With some teenagers it's drugs. With me it's alcohol. Yeah, you heard right, I'm an alcoholic, a card-carrying member of AA.
My father was also an alcoholic. From as far back as I can remember, drinking was a big part of our lives. Booze was every where. They say when you grow up in this kind of environment, you're more inclined to be a drinker yourself. And then there's the genetic angle. Often it's part of the genetic makeup, a kind of alcoholic heritage. Although I can't stand around blaming genetics and my father. Because blame doesn't solve anything. Blaming is just an excuse to avoid looking into yourself, you know. Blame sucks.
I guess this problem started when I was 8 years old. My dad started his own business called "Homer's Bar" in the garage and became pretty popular around Springfield. One night, my dad asked me to help around by serving the beers. After the bar closed, I was really curious about why Duff beer was popular, so I took one drink and loved the taste. Since then, for about 6 years, I've been secretly drinking with my dad.
However, I didn't realize I had a problem. I had always thought drinking was the answer to everything, from tests and exams to dates with my boyfriend. I didn't just beer, I felt like I needed it.
But, thank God someone was there to help me. One morning, I woke up in the hospital. It was my brother, Bart. He was the one found me unconscious in my room. He was the one who told Mom what happened. However, my father didn't make it. He…he died of alcohol poisoning.
September 28, 2008 was the day of my father's funeral. I was signed up for AA a week later, the same day I got out of the hospital. Today, I'm sober. It sure is neat waking up…know that you're free from your problem.