Member-only story
“Sober January” constitutes a thing for many people.
Drinking is normalized to such a point in our culture where it’s weirder not to engage than to engage. That’s why we need a dedicated detox period directly following a holiday that’s sponsored by flutes of champagne.
If this article meets you hungover, I apologize. You will hate me for it. I get it, I would have hated me for it, too. But this article isn’t some self-righteous call to give up drinking. It’s just to describe my struggles, my logic for doing so, in hopes that the few out there that are saying, “this is THE LAST TIME” might actually mean it.
I don’t drink.
Every once and awhile I’ll have a shot of tequila (aggressive, I know). So I can’t claim that I’m completely sober, but almost. I can count the times I’ve had a drink in the last 2.5 years.
It started when I moved to Los Angeles. I decided I was going to introduce myself as a person who didn’t drink (not that it was something I’d offer up immediately, just when necessary). It was an uncomfortable process, hanging with new colleagues at happy hours.
My college friends can attest this was quite the change of heart. One might even call it a complete 180. During college and in the years after, I was a big partier. I was…
