Pouncer

Has anyone else noticed an uptick of Oktoberfest events in the last few years?

I am not into controlling other people or their choices in life — and I like soft pretzels — but I really have an issue with how drinking a quart of beer out of a boot is marketed as family-friendly fun. Food trucks, face painting and lots of belligerent adults...It’s a little weird; many families we know are going with their kids. A bacchanal somehow made more innocent because: pumpkins.

Okay. Rant over.

Dee74

I used to notice things like that a lot when I quit, Pouncer - but it gets easier.

I really couldn't tell you nowadays where the Oktoberfest festivities are in my town. Its off my radar and I couldn't be happier.

Hang in there

D

Fearlessat50

I used to notice more of this stuff too. Like Dee, I couldn’t tell you where. And i could care less. But you might be right or maybe it’s marketed differently. What bothers me the most is probably just that - how it’s marketed and the fact that it’s “family friendly” so kids are welcome and they get to watch their parents get toasted. And how is everyone getting home? Uber? It’s just another way alcohol is made acceptable and even glamorized in society. Just like “mommy juice”. I’m even tempted to not watch Real Housewives anymore. Don’t get me started.

It’s a good rant

Hodd

DesertDawg

Similar in many respects to St Patrick's Day and (at least here in North America) Cinco De Mayo. Days which have significance to certain communities which have been co-opted as an excuse to get loaded.

Callas

I never needed an Octoberfest to get wasted. Every day of the week would do. Only 7% of the world population are alcoholics. The rest drink normally even if they maybe over imbibe on occasion. I think we need to be careful not to project our oversensitivity on others. I know I have to guard against that.

C0ntr0ls

+1 Callas.

newhope01

lessgravity

Although I think Callas put it perfectly I wanted to chime in with my two cents. I know that when I was still struggling to get sober I would focus on this kind of thing. Looking outward and seeing alcohol, its presence and the way other people enjoyed it or even overdid it was something I made it a priority to pay attention to. The truth is it's got nothing to do with me or us or any of us getting sober. This is an in an internal quest. Looking for society to conform or to make things easier on anything that we do is a Fool's errand. I still appreciate the post though. Hope that you're feeling good in your sobriety.

DontRemember

I'm a huge fan of sports and when I quit in Nov a couple years ago, I could hardly watch a game without getting a bit angry at all the drinking commercials. With some time talking with guys from the AA meeting I went to and some fine folks here, I realized/learned others drinking is not my business.

Delilah1

Our town has a big Octoberfest, I missed it this year because I was away with my oldest daughter, but my husband took my other two kids. They have lots of great craft booths, rides and music, the beer garden is separated and only 21 and over so it makes it more family friendly.

I am definitely not a fan of lots of drunk people, so tend to avoid those situations, so I can understand wanting to avoid Octoberfest if that is the only thing going on.

Fusion

My experience is that there’s no point ranting over the pervasiveness of alcohol, even into childrens’ lives, birthday partys and so on. They happen, ever more frequently.

So I’m determined to be a good example: that happy times aren’t delivered or heightened by an alcoholic drink; and sad times aren’t drowned or ameliorated by an alcoholic drink.

All I can do, is be the change I want to see in this world.

abgator

Agree completely.

This is why I avoid seeing the friends I did have and I never preach to anyone else about their drinking, be they heavy drinkers, alcoholics, or social drinkers. It's not my place to judge them or tell them how to drink just because I'm an alcoholic.

DariaM

Oktoberfest doesn't really bother me. In fact, despite the fact that I'm not drinking this fall, I've been trying to keep an eye out for them. I LOVE German food; my maternal grandmother's family was mostly German, and she made a lot of German food when I was growing up. I find it really difficult to find German restaurants, so I'm really happy Oktoberfests have sorta caught on, even if it's mostly been because of the drinking. Makes it a little easier for me to find German food, even if only seasonally.

zerothehero

As a musician, Oktoberfest, Paddy's Day, and a few other party dates tend to mean I get paid well to do something I love (play music), and a lubricated crowd usually means good tips on top of the check (one of the few perks associated with people drinking - other people, of course - I mean, call me crazy, but drunk people tip better - Lol). As long as there's a microphone in front of me I feel relatively insulated from the chaos.

One thing I learned from mindfulness practices is that it became very clear that my problem drinking started with judging reality, not liking what I was experiencing, being critical of self or others. The antidote for me has been to suspend judgement and thus not crave a "better reality" that doesn't exist.

mariposa

Mcribb

I don't mind Oktoberfest or any other things that have alcohol. People like to drink and it is great they have something to do. It just isn't a thing for me to do with my problem drinking.

Ken33xx

One of the first things I noticed in sobriety is most people do drink responsibly. I also noticed it was rare that co-workers would show up looking rough. I can recall one person who did often come to work hungover and thinking he's got a long day ahead of him.

I could drink anyway I liked until I reached about the age of 28. Then it would take a good day to recovery. You reach say 40 and still drink hard well... it must be horrible getting up in the morning to work a 9-5 job.
.

brighterday1234