I didn't have any alcohol until I was 23, when I was an evening student at a London college and a group of us would go round to the pub after the lesson.
Like the others, I tipped the alcohol down with gay abandon, and put up with the inevitable hangover the next morning. It was only after a hangover so appalling I was barely able to function that I decided to severely cut down my drinking.
After I left college I stopped drinking altogether and I drank no alcohol for a good decade until I met Jenny and we started socialising a lot, which led me back to alcohol.
We never drank that much, but there were evenings when we would consume a whole bottle of wine. We've been drinking less and less and a couple of months ago decided to quit alcohol altogether.
For me alcohol has never had the supposed benefits people mention. It doesn't make me more confident, or more talkative, or more vivacious, or help me to cope with a big shock. Usually it just makes me sleepy and vague and not very good company.
We're also saving a pile of money of course, especially at restaurants where a single glass of wine can set you back seven quid. Is it worth it?
Incidentally why is copious alcohol the routine way to celebrate? Couldn't we celebrate some other way?
Group celebrations tend to be heavy on tradition and peer pressure. There are always those who would be disappointed if the champagne didn't flow. I've seen this in workplaces on early afternoons.
ReplyDeleteYou're fortunate if alcohol isn't addictive to you. For those to whom it is, it can be a huge problem.
Nick, a good glass of wine when having lunch or dinner can be really nice. I cannot imagine a "cheese plateau" with a glass of water. As for all things it depends on the quantity you consume.
ReplyDeleteHannah