You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t drink. Especially nowadays when it seems like alcohol is the cure to everything. Bad grade on a test? Drink. Hard day of work? Drink. Did you have a fight with a friend/spouse/co-worker? Drink.
It amazes me how often I hear people say…I need a drink, as if a sip of alcohol is the elixir of life.
It’s one thing if you like the taste of alcohol but I fear that isn’t necessarily the case for everyone. Being a 21 year old college student who wasn’t into the “bar scene” was difficult. It was hard to find a group of people who didn’t always want to prance around downtown going from club to club consuming anything in their reach. And for what? To put themselves in a “better mode?” As if the only way they could have fun was if they were drinking and drinking and drinking to the point of blacking out. And then the next day they would be stuck in bed sick and unable to move…is it worth it?
I don’t mean to say people only drink to have fun. That may not be the sole reason. Alcohol can also be used to alleviate stress. I get it… we all do so much and life is difficult! The constant work and stress you feel can be incredibly overwhelming. So maybe you need to take a drink of something a little bit stronger than fruit punch to help you through it!
Trust me, I understand the allure of alcohol! I just choose not to drink. When people hear that they are shocked. Why? Because everyone drinks. It’s a common characteristic found in a good majority of the population.
I don’t drink alcohol because I don’t like the way alcohol is portrayed. Society has painted alcohol consumption as a necessary component to everyone’s life. If you aren’t drinking alcohol you aren’t having fun. And that just isn’t true!
Just because I don’t drink alcohol doesn’t mean I can’t get “crazy.” I would just rather drink something that doesn’t change the way I feel. It’s all too easy to drink too much and make decisions you’ll later regret.
I am not judging or telling anyone to not drink alcohol. Just think about why you’re drinking before you start. Cheers!
