Ryno03272009

In my days of drinking I once made a friend who was in the US Navy. He was the type of person that seemed to know everyone and everyone knew him. I considered my own personality to be the same as him but (only because of my drinking).

One time he and I got to talking and and I asked him if he had ever tried a certain alcohol/beer and he responded by saying "I have never tried it." I then threw some more drink names/mixes his way to try to help him compare what it might taste like in his mind. When I finished he said to me "Ive never tried it because I don't drink."

I couldn't believe it! Here is this guy who is only about 25 who is fun and everyone seems to know him and he reminds me a bit of myself but HE DOES NOT DRINK?! He was even in the Navy which had "Drink to the foam" right in the Navy song!

So I asked him "what do you do for fun?!"

Fast forward six years later to recently in my sobriety. I was having a similar conversation with a coworker who wasn't shy about expressing their nights out drinking and they asked me if I had tried a certain alcohol - deja vu - I responded by saying "I don't drink." And guess what his next question was.... "What do you do for fun?!"

So without explaining to him why I do not drink I told him about all of the fun things I do in my free time (which I never would have enjoyed or appreciated while drinking).

The point of my story is... Just because you think everyone drinks and drinking is "fun" its not true. There are many wonderful and fun things a person can do with their free time and money which does not involve drinking alcohol.

One last note... I have saved more money since become sober than ever would be possible if I was still drinking with "friends" for "fun."

Raider

Good post. Thanks.

Mrmellow11

For me drinking just went along with being outside cutting the grass or washing the truck and since I spend a lot of time outside I would drank a lot in which turned into every day no matter what...I'm 7 months sober and even though I'm dealing with some anxiety and brain fog I wouldn't change it for the world and once I'm totally recovered I'm going to get back into dirtbike racing

LadyinBC

Looking back I don't see how I really had any "fun" with the alcohol. I just drank by myself watching TV and and forgetting or wallowing in what could be.

There was no fun in the hangovers and throwing up all day.

Looking4Help123

Ditto..

Thing is there's this culture around "fun" isn't there? I mean, you had to have had "fun" on the weekend otherwise somethings wrong with you. You had to have "fun" on your holiday otherwise somethings wrong with you. When you drink you have to have "fun" otherwise you're weird.... and so on and on it goes...

Thing is there is/was nothing about alcohol that would not have been FAR FAR BETTER if I had been sober!

Just goes to show that if we let the external world set our own personal parameters things can start to go wrong.

1newcreation

Couldn't have said it better! Thank you