When you are young and single…and you aren’t exactly a shrinking violet, the No. 1 thing you do is go to a very SOCIAL situation that usually has booze. And by social situation I mean bar.
The bar is the main locale for: engagement parties, birthdays, receptions, etc. It’s hard to avoid. But when you are me, (no longer drinking) these social scenes become hard. Seems like when I drank, everything seemed fun. Now if I spend an hour sober somewhere booze-infused, I’m pretty bored. In that hour I realize people aren’t talking about anything that interests me. And I notice that people do some pretty hilarious stuff they won’t remember the next day.
It’s like watching a mirror you don’t really own anymore. You know what you are looking at but now it’s like, I don’t know, no longer your view. This makes it tough to be youngish and single when even your married friends (when they can finally break free) want to hit a happy hour.
Also, if you are not looking to stay single, people who hit on you in these situations are kind of a drag. You are left wondering: Hum, do they want my mind or are they wearing beer goggles or their heart in their pants? So you leave an hour later. And then you sit on your back porch or deck and ponder. Or maybe that’s just me.
When you work as much as I do, now almost five years at the same company while working to grow my photography biz, you don’t have time for the more meaningful connections as much as you would like. Happy hours and weekend gatherings surrounded by alcohol are pretty much your mainstay options if you want to stay in the loop.
So this is where I ask you the question: What do you do when you are single and sober?
