I can't say I read all the comments people posted, but one of the last comments said you were called a loser... Well, those people are idiots so it doesn't matter what there opinion is!! Keep it up, it is hard!
I personally love drinking, maybe a lil too much. I am working on that however. I love me some wine and steak, ughhhh I never new how good the combination was until I had Malbec and t-bone! I brew beer; in fact I just bottled 48 beers yesterday of 11% ABV.
I skimmed through someone that said juice taste better, I have to disagree. Maybe its just the alcoholic in me, but if there is white grape juice in the fridge, and a good beer or bottle of wine guess which I am reaching for. I love drinking and eating, except for breakfast, or an odd World Cup scheduling then you find me drinking in early morning.
One thing I loved about your article is that it helped me understand my girlfriend more. We will be together for ten years this September! She has only drank twice, and taking sips here and there with looks of disgust. Everyone tries to make her drink, and she always says no. The poor things New Years resolution was to drink more this year, hahahaha, she failed at that miserably. I could never really understand why she didn't like to, but now I kind of do.
I did notice a pattern between the both of you; you didn't start acquiring any taste at an early age. I (and a lot of people I know) began drinking at 14. I am not sure if that has anything to do with it, but that is something in common you both have.
Why I drink? You mentioned one; boredom. When I am in school doing homework at home and I am bored out of my ass, I grab a few beers and I am able to concentrate better. I feel more relaxed, focused, not bored, and I am able to complete the task at hand. I also have victory drinks! I have not had a better tasting beer than one I have earned to drink. Finish a semester with straight A's, or getting a high grade on a test, accomplishing something and drinking taste 100 times better to me.
The times I don't like when I drink is when I purposefully (or not) binge drink. I lose control. I need to be in control of my life, but not by running away from it either. I will conquer it, and I will be able to say no I have had enough. Then I will be in control.