If By Whiskey

Have you ever heard of Soggy Sweat? If not, you should familiarize yourself. He was a Mississippi politician who was asked to deliver a speech on his stance on whiskey. In front of a large crowd at a banquet during the legislative session, he expounded on his position as to whether or not the State of Mississippi should repeal the prohibition laws that the federal government had repealed some 20 years prior.

In his speech, he eloquently defended and supported both sides of the issue - those for it and those against it! "If, when you say whiskey, you mean . . . ." he exclaimed. So, an If By Whiskey moment is that point in one's life when they clearly and perfectly see both sides of an issue and, instead of defending one side, they take them both! In the literary sense, it demonstrates irony and often includes elements of satire. Plus, it expounds on the metaphor.

There is more here than meets the eye. Think about it. I bet you can relate if you think about how many times this really has happened to you. Probably more than you want to admit!