Grizzly Growler

I didn’t go to the brew fest at Big Mountain this week.

And the reason I didn’t go is delicate.

On July 4, my wife’s close friend and co-worker, Micaela Maestas, was a passenger in the front seat of a friend’s car.

They two women were returning home from a birthday party when they were struck, very nearly head on, by a man accused of driving drunk.

Micaela’s airbag did not deploy, and she spent two weeks in the hospital in a medically induced coma while friends and family prayed that the swelling would subside.

When it did, doctors found no brain activity.

The ridiculously sweet girl with bright eyes and chipmunk cheeks died a few days later on July 14.

Her death was painful for many reasons, but it hurt that something as stupid as driving under the influence of alcohol could end a life that shined so bright on many of us who knew and loved her.

My wife and kids joined me in Montana a week before Micaela died and so did not get to say goodbye to her.

And just two weeks before that, my wife’s father passed away from complications relating to his paralysis. Several years ago he’d fallen down some stairs in his home and was paralyzed from the neck down.

My wife didn’t have a close relationship with her father, who was an alcoholic, but to lose a family connection is always tough.

Because I blog about beer as part of my job as a news reporter at the Missoulian and not just as a hobby, I have to think about how I portray drinking.

The deaths of two people, one directly related to alcohol use and the other indirectly, made me think a lot about my own behavior when it comes to attending festivals, beer tastings or even Friday nights out with friends.

Those deaths also made me think a lot about my wife and how she perceives alcohol use.

The truth is that nobody is careful enough, and I include myself in that.

Oh, I’m careful to the point of keeping track of how many beers I have when I know I’m going to drive, but I very rarely police others around me.

Had I been drinking with the fellow who plowed his car into the vehicle my friend Micaela was in, I could never forgive myself for letting him drive. Yet we do this everyday. There is always some friend who has had too much to drink, and we all know it.

But we don’t want to hurt feelings or upset someone, and so they get behind the wheel.

What does this have to do with the Big Mountain Brew Fest?

I didn’t go to the beer fest out of respect for my wife, who is still suffering from the deaths of people in her life.  It just wasn’t time to be so far away and to leave her with thoughts of drunken drivers at every turn.

My point here is this: Craft brew is a wonderful thing for so many reasons. It is unique and creative. It is often representative of an area and its inhabitants. Craft beer provides a base around which conversations can happen and friendships blossom. But craft beer is as dangerous as any other form of alcohol, and when abused, it can have the same drastic consequences.

I have many wonderful friends who are part of Alcoholics Anonymous, and in previous blogs, I’ve worked with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to create awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving. Some of my friends in Alcoholics Anonymous read the blog because they love the discussion about craft beer even if they can’t drink it. I value their input and advice about how drinking is perceived in the media.

So as school is starting up, as we slip into the season of fall beers and as another brew fest sits just around the corner, let’s all think about ourselves and others when we drink. Someone’s life, any life, is worth taking the keys away for.

Thanks,

GG