The Clear-Headed Generation
The Clear-Headed Generation
Fewer Americans drink today than at any time Gallup has measured. I am one of them, and my mornings are the reason.
The Numbers
Gallup has asked Americans about drinking since 1939. In 2025 only 54 percent of adults said they drink at all, the lowest figure in the history of the poll. In 2026 it held at 54 percent for a second year. Among adults 18 to 34 it was 50 percent. In 2025, for the first time, a majority of Americans said even one or two drinks a day is bad for your health.
Something real is happening. Dry January began in the United Kingdom in 2013 and spread around the world. Alcohol free beer and spirits now sit on the menus of good restaurants. Not drinking used to be something a man explained. Now he simply does it.
Why I Choose It
I do not drink. I choose clarity.
My day starts early, in cold water and in quiet. A clear morning is where the rest of the day comes from, and every good thing I do starts there.
Clarity and the Work
Design is noticing. It is the width of a cuff, the weight of a cloth, the way a collar stands. I am obsessed with those details. A clear head sees more of them, and sees them sooner.
Sobriety is not a rule I press on anyone. It is my way. It has given me far more than it has ever asked.
What I Wear at Dawn
At five in the morning in Seattle it is cold. The Ultimate Thermal Henley is what I put on. It is 11.5oz, 75 percent cotton and 25 percent modal, garment dyed in our own ARMY color. The waffle knit runs right up through the neckline. The shell buttons carry the Black Bear Brand name, the seams are heirloom flat stitched throughout, and it is designed and made in Seattle.
A Way Of Life.
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