In honor of the imminent Cinco de Mayo bacchanal, and my tequila stories today, I would like to revisit the topic of this post, those hazy, crazy tequila experiences of youth. Or, if not youth, of juvenile behavior. My most memorable tequila shot in recent years was a "body shot" out of the navel of a bartender at Coyote Ugly in Ybor City, followed by a shared lime that also seemed, in hindsight, somewhat unhygienic.

Here are some other readers' tequila tales:

"When I was in my early 20s I rented a villa in Mexico City with three friends with the intention of going to the university. We were told before leaving for the summer not to drink the water, so I used tequila instead. (Then it was 32 cents a pint.) One night after many, many tequilas I passed out. I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I fell flat on the floor. 'Wow, I can't drink this stuff again,' I thought. That morning I found out we had had a major earthquake and we were flooded out of our villa.  What a relief to find out it wasn't the tequila!!!!!!!"--Paula Isler, Palm Harbor

"Story 1: Years back, 3 fraternity brothers attended a football game at an unnamed state university where the Florida Gators play. Sitting in the blazing sun, the 3 of them consumed 2 fifths of tequila with the concomitant lemon and salt. The next morning they were hospitalized. Their lips were tripled in size and inverted, split in numerous places and covered with sores. Their gums were enormously inflamed, nearly covering their teeth. Their eyes were swollen completely shut. Their faces and necks were covered with golf ball sized lumps. We won the game. Go Gators!!!

Story 2: Years later, I was at a bar with my friend Big Puss. Puss was 6’5”, around 300. We started doing tequila shots. I did 3 and quit (I’m a weenie, but a smart weenie!). Big Puss laughed, did 7 shots and said he was straight as a string. We stood up to leave, Big Puss took two steps, then hit the floor so hard the force shook the signs behind the bar and spilled drinks 3 tables away. He broke his nose and bit through his upper lip, requiring 9 stitches. He did not regain consciousness for over 10 minutes, when the ambulance arrived with some smelling salts.

Story 3: True story! This one happened to me. I don’t remember a thing. My friends told me I had a blast. All I recall is lots of shoes and some raccoons."--Jamie Chastain, Winter Haven

"Ugh. Tequila is responsible for the closest I've come to death by alcohol poisoning. It's the only liquor where I've guzzled straight from the bottle to the extent that other frightened spectators felt compelled to force the bottle from my tightly clenching hands. BTW, did you know that if you forcefully blow out candles from very close up you may find wax in what's left of your singed eyebrows the following day?"--Ed C., Arlington, Va.

All of this just makes you wonder if any of these folks might have seen Pee-Wee Herman dancing in the big white shoes after their tequila intake?

[Photo of numerous tequilas by Times photographer Scott Keeler]