Am I a smart kid?

Growing up I was always told that I had a lot of potential which is a polite way of saying, you could be smart but you're not. In elementary school, the smart kids were part of an exclusive club.  They got to leave class and go brainstorm together because they were gifted and their lowly classmates just had potential.  I resented that and I always wanted to be one of them.

Recently one of my colleagues posted an article that finally makes me feel included.  The article highlights two recent studies that suggest a correlation between intelligence and a thirst for alcohol.  Ding!  The light bulb goes on.  Of course, all these years that I've been drinking and its because of my superior intellect!

Finally, I'm a smart kid.  All of those "gifted" classmates of mine were forced to spend time in a little club to feel special and I can just go to my local bar to feel smart.  Now that's a good trade off.