Thursday, December 14, 2006

Planning NOT to drink

My last day at work is looming over the horizon and it co-incides with our Christmas lunch - all paid for by the company, including drinks. Some of the friends I've made there have been planning to go into town after the lunch and so many of them have made alternative transport arrangements so that they can 'get wrecked', 'let their hair down' (which means get wrecked) or 'see you off in style' (which also means get wrecked).

I'd been thinking how much I'd like a drink at the Christmas lunch, how much I feel I've earned it after the awful, awful time I've had at that company, and I've been muttering defiantly, 'I'm going to have a drink, I deserve a drink, I never said I was giving up forever.'

But I've thought about it, and I can't be sure it would be just 'a' drink. Certainly heading into town afterwards to hit the bars almost guarantees that I'd come home singing off-key in a taxi or falling over in the street, so I've made up my mind.

Today I sent an email to the colleague who's co-ordinating the after-lunch trip into town to say, 'I'll join you, but I shan't be drinking. I need to keep a clear head, and I'll be driving, so I'll be on soft drinks only.' I'm beginning to find that it's easier just to say no than try and convince myself to stick to 'just the one'. If I was able to stick to 'just the one' I wouldn't be here in the first place!

I guess you'd call that progress?

6 comments:

Shannon said...

Hey I can understand what you are saying, and I am concerned. It sounds a bit dangerous to go, is there someone you can bring with you, to support you in your descion not to drink? Do you have a plan if you go and feel pressured?

GOOOOOD ol Rockytop... rockytop tennesseeeeee! said...

Howdy! For me, one drink never enters my mind, I go straight to "I am gonna get tanked!!"

If you are spiritually fit, by all means go and have fun. If you are not, and have the slightest doubt, just don't go.

Any whooo, I hope you make through ok!

Peace to you...

Mary Christine said...

I would call that a great deal of progress.

They used to tell me to "think it through to the last drink." which means when you are romancing that sparkling first drink, think about the last one when you don't even know what you are doing, and then the lovely and very glamorous feeling of vomiting it onto the nearest surface.

Mary Christine said...

I am dying for an update. How did it go?

Pam Jarnagin said...

Definite progress, girlfriend! I'm preparing to go skiing (a venue in which I drank last year) with firm resolve not to drink. What MC is advising (thinking ALL the way through the entire scenario) is priceless, and I think announcing your intentions to a friend who is going to be there is also wise, as it builds in some accountability. I'm with MC -- dying for an update! Let us know.

(And if you did decide to have one, that's okay, too. Like you said, you didn't go into this with promises to anyone that it would be forever.)

Shadow said...

hey, great! excellent decision! may we all get there...