I freakin’ LOVED martinis.
I loved going out to a bar and ordering an 8/10 dirty gin martini with two olives.
But it never lasted long.
Even when the dance floor was pumping, the little voice in the back of my mind was always thinking of the next drink, the next hit, and the next chance to fill my cup.
Although there were many nights that were wildly fun and enjoyable, there were too many that were blurry, forgotten, downright dangerous and weeks after spent drowning in anxiety and regret — for what exactly?
The trouble came to surface in quarantine, when martini’s (or quarantini’s) at home, on video became a thing. Why the glamour? Didn’t feel so glamorous anymore, drinking alone at home to a screen. And I definitely didn’t the next morning — in bed, hung as a dog, eating fast food and feeling sorry for myself.
I find it fascinating that alcohol marketing is so penetrative that to feel fancy you gotta be holding a cup of poison. Mad Men shows this perfectly, it’s my favourite TV series of all time and illustrates so poignantly the normalisation of alcohol in every aspect of life — celebrations, work events, funerals, get togethers, holidays..
Don’t get me wrong, I still love going out for a night on the town and sending it. But I’ve learned that nights can be just as good, if not better, without the poison in my cup.
Play the tape forward and make the choice that’s best for you. Tonight, tomorrow, and beyond that.
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