Tales of Home [7]

is really misunderstanding the whole proposition.- Blue

{{Is it? }}}

Well, you don't have to drink to excess.

I've always wondered, is the level of "excess" something you get to decide for yourself, or is it something the people around you get to decide?

That depends on the excess

{{Well no, you don't have to Blue. But how else are you going to reach a state of total oblivion, where all the cares of the world cannot touch you   - its all the peace of the grave but with the benefit of an alarm call (well, unless you choke to death on your own vomit or something    but hey, look on the bright side, at least you'll be oblivious to it!   ) }}}

is the level of "excess" something you get to decide for yourself, or is it something the people around you get to decide?- David

{{It can only be precisely pinned down in retrospect David -you have drunk to excess precisely the moment when, though you knew precisely what you were doing at the time, the next day you will not be able to recall any of it. The point at which you cross that line of , "yeah we were singing in the pub when that big fat sweaty bloke and the big fat sweaty lass came over", and the moment you cant remember what happened next, or why you have a traffic cone, someone's left ear in your pocket, and a kebab, even though there is no kebab shop near, and you realise you are not in your bedroom but in someone elses bed squeezed between a big fat sweaty naked bloke and a big fat sweaty naked lass, is the 'excess' moment }}}

I've got a friend from (army) school who would always say no to alcohol when we were out, and that was okay. We usually asked him once or twice each time in case he wanted to join in and have a beer or something else, but he'd usually say no thanks. We never pushed it more than that. One day, quite recently, another friend of mine offered him a Belgian cherry beer (of all things) called Kriek, and he loved it. So he joined us for another, and I made him a light drink of vodka and some other crap, which he liked too - he got moderately drunk and had the time of his life, he said the day after He also said he felt more comfortable trying alcohol when there were just a few of us in a "home" setting, and all of us good friends.

Anyway, the point of my little story - if you don't give a rat's ass about getting drunk or even a little tipsy, say no thanks and people will respect that. If you should feel like trying it (more than one drink) some day, do it with friends and don't make a big deal out of it. It's supposed to be fun, and it's not worth it if it doesn't feel like that.

Just got back home. The fan over my seat in the bus was busted but we ran into relatively little traffic compared to the trip up on Friday.

Bluebottle wrote:Mostly alcohol just strengthens the emotions you are having currently

Dude, that's why I don't drink. Emotional regulation is a daily struggle for me. And there are just too many problems with mental health and addictive behavior in both my family and personal history.

Wouldn't be able to tell from the outside you have to struggle to regulate your emotions.

I see alcohol as a help to relax, and though more than the amount needed for relaxation may happen, it needn't. It will affect different people differently, and even the same person differently depending on the situation. Not needed, really, but sometimes interesting.

I'm glad I'm getting better at hiding it again.

I think you're right about it affecting different people in different ways but it's a gamble I'd rather not take since I have reason to think I'd respond poorly to it. I have nothing against other people drinking, though.

Good call Eldo.
My personal "excesses" have tended to be less colourful than Petty's. I'm more likely to find myself curled up in a corner with a strange dog, having told it my life's story because humans just don't understand me.

I think being drunk with a dog is probably one of the safer outcomes. And fewer consequences if you wake up next to a strange one.

I don't even remember their names.....

David H wrote:Good call Eldo.
My personal "excesses" have tended to be less colourful than Petty's. I'm more likely to find myself curled up in a corner with a strange dog, having told it my life's story because humans just don't understand me.

Thanks Dave.

there is far too much peer pressure to drink and its really irritating having to say NO THANK YOU a thousand times. People get really offended if you refuse a drink in the North of England, like its a personal slur. There's been lots of times when I haven't felt like drinking but just took one to shut people up. sat there all night pretending to take sips of it but secretly poured it down a plant pot. Up North there's a tradition that the more you drink the more manly you are, and that includes the women. must be a hangover (pardon the pun) from oldie worldie Viking days. its quite common for men to drink 10 pints of beer per session.

Mrs Figg wrote:its quite common for men to drink 10 pints of beer per session.

I've sometimes gotten into situations where I needed to drink with such people...

Once upon a time I used to get hammered, so drunk I went past the violent spinny head & sickness, numb mouth, numb brain & scared to walk in case I collapsed & no one saved me. Now, I am a goody 2 shoes. I drink healthy yoghurt drinks, fresh fruit drinks etc, I eat better & I wont budge. No means no, A bottle of fine Napoleon a night was nothing in the bad old days Now Im a happy veggie stuffing pulses & beans & nuts ( watch it ! ) down my throat, Il even eat stuff growing in the garden, like Nasturtiums & rose petals

Ringdrotten wrote:

Anyway, the point of my little story - if you don't give a rat's ass about getting drunk or even a little tipsy, say no thanks and people will respect that. If you should feel like trying it (more than one drink) some day, do it with friends and don't make a big deal out of it. It's supposed to be fun, and it's not worth it if it doesn't feel like that.

I liked what you said Ringo, makes good sense You never know at the beginning how booze will affect you ? Having a friend around is good.

I haven't been drunk in probably three or four years, I get to a certain point and my body just says nope you aren't drinking any more, although my alcohol thresh-hold is much higher than it used to be (it would probably take eight or nine pints before I got seriously tipsy...) I always got quite bad hangovers...

That said, I do drink fairly often (though in reasonably small amounts) and I actually like the taste of most alcohol...is drinking because you enjoy rather than drinking to get drunk better or worse?

Better, I'd say, Malick - though I prefer to combine the two

I should stop drinking... I think eldo should drink Exactly what he wants, be it juice or smirnoff with extra vodka

now all it takes is one Mon Cheri chocolate and I feel squiffy.

Norc

Hope the college life has been treating you alright lately.

Eldorion wrote:

Bluebottle wrote:Mostly alcohol just strengthens the emotions you are having currently

Dude, that's why I don't drink. Emotional regulation is a daily struggle for me. And there are just too many problems with mental health and addictive behavior in both my family and personal history.

And those moments are probably not good for drinking in excess. But, hey. I'm not telling you to do anything you don't want. I was just trying to normalize certain stress factors associated with drinking. You don't have to get plastered just to drink and in moderation it can be a real nice thing in social situations or just as a small part of everyday life. I'm not saying "Drink!", I'm saying "Don't be affraid to." It's really nothing dangerous, special, or anything to be affraid off. It can actually be quite nice, and relaxing, in moderation, particularly when you're a bit stressed out.

I guess I'm just trying to say, you can have a perfectly healthy relationship to alcohol. Not that you have to. (Nor that I have.)

Drink if you want, or not. Just don't think you shouldn't for whatever reason.

This is so gross. I hope none of them got too sick.



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