Last night, in a celebratory mood with nervous energy to burn, I drank about three glasses of wine. Depending on your lifestyle, you either may scoff at how little or how much I drank. However, if you know me personally, you know I’m not a heavy drinker.
Certain times in my life I did overindulge in liquor like in college, awash in freedom and easily obtainable booze. When college ended, and I eventually met my husband about a year afterward, I didn’t require drinks too often. Maybe a tasty alcoholic beverage like a fresh mojito on a warm, summer evening. Although my husband loves beer (German heritage maybe?) and used to make it himself, we were more involved in our addictions to each other, our books, our music and good food. Our chosen beverage usually consisted of one—coffee—which he introduced me to in full caffeinated force and led to weekends coffee shop hopping instead of pub crawls.
When a good friend of mine was going through the break-up of her marriage and, simultaneously, my daughter’s classroom situation devolved into misery, we hopped bars and had fun. Hopefully, we helped chase my friend’s blues away at least temporarily. After receiving a few nasty hangovers, and my friend found new love in her life, the bar hopping slowed down. I missed hanging out with my friends, not the drinks. Luckily, our friendships never needed alcohol to sustain them. Besides, I developed a bad case of acid reflux and went on a strict diet and medication to ward off the illness.
So drinking last night was not only unusual for me but unnecessary. Originally, I poured myself a glass of white wine to literally calm down my racing mind which imagined new worries, responsibilities and what-ifs due to upcoming events including a myriad of errands, activities and unexpected happenings. Excess nervous energy and activity pervaded my body which felt like an electrified wire.
Drinking provided me relaxation when I didn’t have the time or opportunity to do anything like take a walk which usually relieves me of nervous and sometimes negative feelings and thoughts. I couldn’t leave the house because my kids were home, hungry for dinner and the brownies I’d promised to bake them after a long hiatus and packed away cookbooks. Plus the wind and cold prevented me from a quick, bracing walk outside. Why reaching for wine seemed the right solution for me I don’t know.
What’s done is done, but with my head aching and waking from a fitful sleep which really was lacking in length and depth, I decided drinking more than one glass of anything is too much. I’d rather walk, sleep, read, write, work on puzzles, watch TV, clean, indulge in indoor sports (ahem!), pace the floor, drink coffee and overeat especially when a decadent chocolate dessert is waiting patiently for me to notice it.
Drinking starts out as a relaxing diversion for me, then the next morning sharply jostles me out of the pleasant lull and into harsh reality. And I need my sleep for the 6:00 a.m. call time and grumbling teen and tween!
So, Cheers to my Merry Drinkers and Friends! Although I, too, enjoy a good margarita, sangria or mojito once in a while, I think I’ll pass. If I’m in the mood, just one drink, please. I’ll find another fruitful way to make merry like gobbling up the latest novel from a favorite author or my lifetime love and stand-by chocolate. Bottoms’ Up!
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