A Sober Summer for Me?
The jury is still out.......
I am considering a Sober Summer this year. You heard that right— June, July and August without a poolside Gin and Tonic or a cold beer on a steamy summer evening. You may be asking yourself, what the hell is she thinking!
Why would someone eliminate something that many of us associate with a carefree and enjoyable summer. Does she have a “problem”? My motivation to consider this potentially fun-sucking experiment stems from a A Rich Roll Podcast episode I recently listened to titled, “Andy Ramage on The Benefits of An Alcohol Free Lifestyle”. His enthusiasm for living an alcohol free life really drew me in and got me thinking.
I am rarely compelled by people extolling the virtues of giving up booze (or anything else for that matter) but this guy was different. Unlike most champions of living alcohol free, this dude is NOT an alcoholic who hit rock bottom. He was a moderate social drinker (like most of us) and simply wanted to improve his life as he reckoned with middle age.
Andy describes 80% of us as “Middle Laners” who drink socially. Perhaps a couple of drinks during the week and a few more on the weekend. Sound familiar? It certainly describes me. For most of us, alcohol does not have a material effect on the way we live our daily life. Or does it? Andy seems to think so and I may soon find out.
For me, alcohol is not something that I need to feel comfortable in a social situation. I am a social butterfly by nature and don’t really need a drink to help me ease into a party or social gathering. Recently I have been tinkering with consuming non-alcoholic drinks at social gatherings and it’s been fine. I guess I would say that it’s been neutral. So far, the lack of alcohol in a social setting hasn’t effected the level of fun that I have or don’t have.
On the other hand, I have noticed a pattern (or you could call it a habit 😏) that when I am stressed, I am more likely to have a drink or uncork a bottle of wine after a long day. I have known this about myself for a while but as a moderate drinker I never felt compelled to make a change. After all, the brief relief feels good and having a glass of wine (or two) at dinner did not seem to have a material effect on my life. Basically, there was not much in the way of motivation for me until I listened to this podcast.
With the official summer kick-off one week away in the United States, I have several days to make my final decision but I am leaning towards giving it a try. I don’t have much to lose here and possibly something to gain. If I decide to move ahead, I will let you all know and plan to share my HONEST experience with all of you. So what do you think and would anyone like to join me in this experiment? Cheers! 🍻
I'll join you! Although, I'm at an unfair advantage because I just don't drink. Not on purpose but I honestly don't see the point anymore. It's expensive and it gives me migraines most of the time. This hasn't always been the case though. When I lived in the Caribbean it wasn't uncommon to have rum with breakfast lol...there are plenty of delicious ways to drink on the islands. I think it was the pandemic that cut me off...I live alone and there was no point in sitting here drinking alone. Then I just never started again.
I feel like you can do this with ease!
Brava! I say why not try it and see what you notice? Might be a worthwhile adventure.