This may seem like a small thing but I have to share it with you. My typical MO is that, on a weekend, I start drinking as early as possible to the extent that I won't go out on an evening or socialise as I don't want people to see me drunk. I won't have play dates for my family that go beyond 5 pm and drive home at a speed of knots if I happen to find that the time is ticking away. If I happen to be with a friend I make crazy excuses for leaving their company early just so I can get home to drink. I keep looking at my watch and panic in my head that i won't have sufficient time to do the needed damage.
The change. This Saturday Afternoon I took my daughter to see a friend of mine that I hadn't seen in a while. With no pressure to get home and get smashed out of my head, we decided to go for an early dinner. We went to a fabulous restaurant and for the first time in too long, I actually spent hours chatting away, eating, drinking (her wine, me tea) and really being happy. Without the pressure of the drink, I was free to spend as much time as I wanted with her. We left the restaurant, prompted by her, not me, late in the evening. When I drove home, it wasn't at a frantic pace as it would normally be, but in a safe controlled manner.
The feeling truly was as if I had shed my shackles. It felt so liberating and freeing. Dinner in a restaurant, no booze or desperate need to get home to drink. Just incredible! I had to share....
