Best Of

I quit the bottle more than two months ago now. I didn't have any specific physiological problem that some folks struggle with, I was just drinking more than I had and I was spending more time around people that would drink as part of their regular routine and I discovered that I just didn't want to be a part of that culture. I didn't like it, I didn't really like them, I needed a fresh start, a clean break.

I first announced it to my daughter to make a commitment. I said kid, your Dad is kinda fat, feeling a little slow these days, I'm going to give up the beer for a while, maybe you can hit the gym with me here and there. I think like all half assed commitments I have ever aspired to make she just sort of was like "sure Dad"...

It's been over two months and I have not touched a drop. It's become a matter of pride for me at this point, like I'm doing it, I'm showing myself that I have enough willpower to see it all the way through. I have lost a few pounds, nothing dramatic, but I'm slowly ramping up my physical work and still eating mostly poorly. But my mind... I've never felt so clear. Booze in any regular consumption cycle does this thing to your brain, I can't quite explain it, it adjusts your levels till you need a little more booze, or maybe more caffeine to come back the other way. Now I drink a cup of coffee in the morning to get going, I sleep fairly normally unless I'm stupid and I drink a giant cold brew coffee late, I don't need nearly as much caffeine to get through my day, I feel a greater emotional stability, when I'm upset about something my first thought isn't "where is my drink", I just sort of cope with it, think about an effective strategy for actually dealing with it and moving forward. I'm saving money too, of course I can find plenty of other stupid things to spend it on, but it's nice to have. I don't have an actual scientific number on a spreadsheet or anything, but I'd guess I have saved about $400 or so since I gave it up. I keep telling myself that's enough for that bitchin Spider Man PS4 Pro, but I have not pulled the trigger yet.

Today is going to be a challenge. It's the first day of regular season Merican Football and my wife's side of the family is obsessed with it. I'm invited to a party and ultimately, I was asked to go get the beer because in the past that's just what I did. I really don't want to do it, like I have not told everybody, my wife knows, my daughter knows, my mom and dad know, but other than that, I haven't really been like, look guys, I'm doing this thing for myself!!! So, it's going to be awkward because for years now, I'd drink a fair bit of beer, and today I'm not going to. I've decided before going there, it's a commitment I've made to myself and I'm keeping it despite whatever temptations are available.

Anyhow, if you have never done it in your adult life, I highly recommend letting the bottle go for a bit. It does not have to be sixty days, but I'd say a good three weeks or so is what it takes for your brain to sort of reboot. You get a chance to evaluate your own relationship with booze and kind of see how you feel without it for a stretch. In my adult life I only gave it up once for longer than this, but it was because I had an out of control stomach condition that forced me to, it wasn't by choice. This time I want to, and I feel really good about what I have accomplished so far. I made a commitment to myself, I have stuck to it, I know I'm going to continue to, now if I can just aspire to give up the Eskimo Pies in the freezer.... I think I can, I think I can....