I certainly know the fear is optional, but only to the extent of optional drinking. I'm not drinking now, but I would certainly prefer that most people I know don't find out how bad I was when I was at my worst. So the fear is still there that word will spread. I'm not proud of who I was. Running into an old baseball coach at 8:30 while buying my morning six pack before work is something that makes me cringe. That's the kind of fear. But that fear keeps me from stopping at the gas station 6 times a day.