Delbert

Abstract

Delbert has battled the plague of alcoholism for most of his adult life. The death of his younger brother and faithful drinking partner to cirrhosis of the liver would have seemed to serve as a wake-up call. Not only did it not curtail his behavior, he showed up drunk at the funeral. Alcoholism has cost Delbert his family as well as an untold number of jobs. When the author first met him over 30 years ago, he had already abandoned his wife and three children and moved in with his mother. Although he has cohabitated intermittently with several girlfriends since, his primary place of residence remains his mother's house. Not surprisingly, Delbert has also struggled with chronic unemployment. The few odd jobs that he manages to find never last very long because he either quits or gets fired. Although he occasionally earns money through silversmithing, Delbert subsists day-to-day mainly through freeloading off of his mom and girlfriend(s). His desultory lifestyle is both exacerbated and fueled by a lack of hope. This chapter introduces Delbert.