I never gave too much thought to this day when I was drinking. It was just a good excuse to wear a funny hat and not have some ridiculous story about it "being leftover from last year's St Pat's Day... hahaha, it IS St. Pat's Day!"
Like many here, I actually forgot today was the day until work was wrapping up. As I was putting away my things, I looked outside the window to see what all the commotion was. Then I remembered this very sobering fact: until recently, I'd be down there at the pub, standing outside in the cold, cold beer in hand (how fitting), yammering out of the side of my face, not making any sense, not understanding anyone, and just generally wasting my time.
I admit, I was kind of staring out the window. I was totally taken by surprise by the fact that I had no urge to run downstairs, shout 'foo-yeahhh!!!' at the top of my lungs, and bear hug the dudes in a 'bro-mancing' kind of way. As I stood there staring out the window, everyone began to look kind of like dolls. They looked like chalky, wooden dolls, perhaps a wide assortment of unwinding automata that just kept turning over and over even though the spring had long since lost any tension. Maybe they're a ventriloquists' puppet of some variety. But the ventriloquist himself has long moved out, and the dolls themselves have moved in. Just yammering, shouting, bragging, boasting, moaning, the constant spilling of spirits, the endless squandering of savings, and ever falls the hangover the next morning...
How will I stay sober this St. Patrick's Day? By being thankful that I don't have to do that anymore. I have taken control of the ship. No matter how much fun I think I might have tonight, I know tomorrow morning when I wake up hangover free I will be a very happy man. And the fact that for the last 80 days or so I have woken up totally sober makes this feel like a dream I keep waking up INTO. Not giving that up so easily!!
Kjell, GREAT topic today. And GREAT JOB on your sobriety! Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone. This is a new holiday for me. It's my first... SOBER HOLIDAY! Kjell, really, sober holiday... you cad! Turning that drinking holiday all kinds of upside down, stealing it back... amazing stuff man! Great idea!! Wink wink.
