There are moments in life like that. A feeling as if the sky is truly falling.

Your mind is racing, but your thoughts are a mess, your chest feels tight, and it seems like you'll go crazy if you don't do something that night.

Do you think of wine then? No. Beer? No. On those days, you just think of something strong.

A friend of mine said this during the pandemic. He got a margin call while trading stocks, and all the money he saved for five years vanished in a week.

I was worried because I hadn't heard from him, so I went to his house at night, and there was a bottle of Jim Beam White on the table.

It was half empty, and there were no snacks. His eyes were bloodshot, and his words were short.

"Hey, let's have a drink."

Would you open a bottle of wine in that atmosphere? Would you make a cocktail with ice?

You just pop the cap and take a straight shot. In Korea, it's like taking a shot of soju; in America, that's Jim Beam White.

Only those who have experienced it know this feeling. The feeling of buying a bottle and coming home.

There's no one to talk to, no mood to call anyone, just you and a bottle.

When you take Jim Beam White neat, it hits your throat immediately. The sweet corn flavor of the bourbon brushes past for a moment, and then the alcohol scratches down your esophagus. It's 40 proof. Much stronger than soju. So you don't need to drink a lot.

One sip is enough.

In that moment of taking a sip, your mind briefly stops. For about five seconds, your thoughts are completely cut off.

Calculations stop, regrets stop, anxieties stop. It's not about finding answers. It's just a pause.

Your phone is off next to you, and you have no intention of venting to anyone.

Counseling? Comfort? You're not thinking about that. Right now, you just want to stop.

People say you should seek counseling when it's tough. That's true. It's very true.

But in that moment, it feels like telling someone who's been shot to "go to the hospital." It's true, but the blood is flowing, isn't it?

A sip of Jim Beam is not a solution. It's a bandage. It's first aid. Nothing more, nothing less.

By tomorrow morning, the hangover will return along with reality. Your bank account will be the same, and the problems will still be there. Life won't get better.

But you know,

for tonight, that one sip can be the only pause button. A moment to stop, take a breath, and cool your head.

That's not something to be ashamed of.

Everyone has a night when they sit across from a bottle at least once in their life. The way to endure that night is different for everyone.