I'll Drink To That: My Journey Through Alcoholism

By Jason Stone

There are few jobs more glamorous and seductive than that of a cruise ship entertainer. Walking up the gangway of a luxurious ship headed for warm breezes and cold piña coladas was Jason Stone's dream...especially the partying and high times that came with it, sip by sip, glass by glass. In this frank, no-holds-barred, part-self-help book and pa

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Release date: Sep 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885905732

Jason Stone

Jason Stone has been in the recording industry for 40 years, working as an artist, composer, producer, and arranger. He has also taught music for years to Los Angeles area children. He is most recognized as a cruise ship performer in the role of piano bar entertainer.

Book preview

Preface

The book you are about to read began as a journal. I was a piano bar entertainer performing shows on cruise ships all over the world and was the perfect choice to gather up the stories and experiences I witnessed nightly. Because people are always curious about what really goes on behind the scenes on cruise vacations, a book would set the record straight. The framework for my future book, however, changed. There was another story unfolding that took top precedence. I was succumbing to alcohol addiction ship by ship, year by year, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The temptation of fun, frolic, and drinking on the seas found me to be easy prey. This is my story's motivation. It could’ve been you, your neighbor, your dentist, your child's teacher…anyone, for there are millions of anyones right now wanting out from the path of relentless addiction. This book guides us through a better understanding of the seductive powers of addiction, and a better appreciation for our options in sobriety, healing, and healthy living.

My story is written for all trapped in the jaws of addiction, as well as the lives of family and friends who’ve suffered with them. No matter the age, no matter the circumstances, addiction can be dealt with and beaten. The hope for this story is that others will be nourished, educated, and informed, and ultimately free of the mental and physical torment addiction can impose. There is ample room for new lighthouses of inspiration. Could one of them be you?

Introduction

As a cruise ship piano bar entertainer for years, I knew early in the gig this would be book-reading material. Vacationers told me to write it all down as they joined me for the raucous late-night party on the seas. The story you are about to read, as 100 percent factual as it is, took an unexpected turn from the fun and good times into an onslaught of unmanageable addiction and near death. This is my story.

Chapter 1:

Party at the Piano Bar

I knew Mary and Joe from Toledo, Ohio. Not from their work offices, not from their neighborhood, church, PTA, nor anything they were involved with in Toledo. I knew Mary and Joe from their cruise vacation partying. I was their piano-playing party provider. I heard them sing songs loudly for hours, get drunk, pat me on the back, drop a few bucks in my tip jar, buy me just one more shot for the road, and head to their cabin. See you tomorrow night, piano man!

It's 1:00 a.m. on the middle of the Atlantic. My show is over. I gather the tip money, quickly clean the lounge, put the piano cover on, and bust my ass below deck to the crew bar before it closes at 1:30. I’m close, already hearing the rumbling chatter of buzzed and exhausted crew members unwinding, looking to hook up with another for the night. I hear again the diva performers asking themselves, How was I on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’? The sound was fucked up, I couldn’t hear myself! I’m in line, staring at the clock, just needing a bottle of wine before they shut down. Crew bars wouldn’t sell bottles of whiskey, so