Molina 1
Christopher Molina
Dr. William Schutz
English 111-College Composition
5 March 2023
Down a Dark Path
Life can be difficult in our// day to day lives , it can all be very overwhelming . We all
find different ways to decompress after a long day, be it from work itself or just from our daily
lives in general . Which way would I choose ? I had started working as a waiter shortly after
High School and quickly worked my way up to a bartender. “Wow now I can make the big
bucks” I had said , but where it would lead me I had no idea. I had a new opportunity to make
life a little bit easier for myself and my family. So instinctively I took the chance .
It all started one cold night, right after work I had just worked the longest 8 hours of my
life or so it felt like it. “Let's go get a drink," one of my co-workers said, hmmm I thought, Why
not? I only drank 2 beers that night , Miller lite if I’m not mistaken. I felt very relaxed after that.
The feeling of being buzzed , for the first time , it actually felt good. I had tried my first drink,
now I was truly an adult I thought . The next time I worked the same thing happened , my co-
workers invited me out , this time they asked me if I’d like to try a cigarette . Once again I
thought Why not? I remember how the smoke entering my lungs felt , frankly it was relaxing .
As time continued this became a daily habit for me. Days would turn into weeks, weeks into
months, etc…. Slowly what was just a thing I used to blow off steam became part of my life. “I
can stop anytime I want” I would say.
The effects of alcohol and cigarettes vary from person to person and from the amount you
consume and also how often. Some short term effects of alcohol are headaches, loss of
Christopher Molina
Dr. William Schutz
English 111-College Composition
5 March 2023
Down a Dark Path
Life can be difficult in our// day to day lives , it can all be very overwhelming . We all
find different ways to decompress after a long day, be it from work itself or just from our daily
lives in general . Which way would I choose ? I had started working as a waiter shortly after
High School and quickly worked my way up to a bartender. “Wow now I can make the big
bucks” I had said , but where it would lead me I had no idea. I had a new opportunity to make
life a little bit easier for myself and my family. So instinctively I took the chance .
It all started one cold night, right after work I had just worked the longest 8 hours of my
life or so it felt like it. “Let's go get a drink," one of my co-workers said, hmmm I thought, Why
not? I only drank 2 beers that night , Miller lite if I’m not mistaken. I felt very relaxed after that.
The feeling of being buzzed , for the first time , it actually felt good. I had tried my first drink,
now I was truly an adult I thought . The next time I worked the same thing happened , my co-
workers invited me out , this time they asked me if I’d like to try a cigarette . Once again I
thought Why not? I remember how the smoke entering my lungs felt , frankly it was relaxing .
As time continued this became a daily habit for me. Days would turn into weeks, weeks into
months, etc…. Slowly what was just a thing I used to blow off steam became part of my life. “I
can stop anytime I want” I would say.
The effects of alcohol and cigarettes vary from person to person and from the amount you
consume and also how often. Some short term effects of alcohol are headaches, loss of
