Party Season

Party season is coming, sober blog traffic dwindles as intentions are put aside until January.

I continue to be amazed that parties seem so unimportant to me now. All those years before, I went to the ends of the earth to get a babysitter, taxis, the next day off, a new dress and it all seemed of the utmost importance that it was all 'just right'. 

Now I am no longer interested in going to my usual parties I can only conclude it was only ever attractive because I wanted to get drunk. Or be something different. Or try to hide who I was.

Why would I do that? 

Being sober is a continual journey of reflection and self discovery. It never fails to surprise me. Yet there is no other explanation for no longer wanting to go to events I previously saw as heavy drinking opportunities.

This year I forgot to request the work party night off and when I checked, I'm not down to work but I am, however, working the Saturday following the Friday night. Instead, on that Friday I'm going to my spanish class's 'xmas' tapas quiz night! I'm not sure what it will involve but we are a mixed bunch and have known each other for over a year. I have offered to drive and I will enjoy the chat and socialising and getting out of the house.I'm looking forward to getting to know the others and the teachers better and quite frankly, that's enough but if it does turn out to be awful, I can get into my little car and leave early.

I don't think it's purely an age thing either as younger sober bloggers report the same change in interests. Whatever the reasons I'm looking forward to my Christmas preparations not being impeded by alcohol or hangovers, not blighted by queueing for taxis in the cold and rain or by the continual effort of buying and chilling and having 'enough' over the festive period.

One of the worst aspects of Christmas drinking for me was 2012 when I was unable to have a night off. I watched my OH 'having a break' or 'giving it a rest' but I was on conveyor belt and could not, would not, did not want to step off for any time at all when I could be drinking again. Every day that presented   a drinking opportunity I took it, without exception and it was a relief when finally, on 31st December, I was back at work and had sobriety enforced. I had neither the inclination or ability to do this of my own volition.

I only need to glance back to this period to confirm that alcohol is nothing to celebrate, is not a treat, and most certainly does not enhance my life.