Alcohol

I don't drink. This sentence is a statement. It is a fact. It does not come from a place of judgment. I do not speak it from a moral high ground. 

I have never felt like drinking alcohol. I did not drink it hiding from my parents as a youngster. I did not drink when I lived in Bangalore away from home and my parents, enjoying the freedom and my hard-earned money. I did not drink it when my beer-guzzling husband nudged me to try mocktails or at least just a Breezer saying it does not contain alcohol. 

I did not drink because I simply hate the smell. It is not that I have smelt every bottle, but whatever I have smelt, has put me off. That is one reason - practical and simple. The other is because I never understood the need to drink to feel "high."

People say they drink for various reasons:

a) socially. They drink to belong to a group. Drinkers instantly bond, and a group of friends who drink together, stays together. 

b) to feel light. When you are stressed out, there is nothing like liquor to destress you. It totally relaxes you. 

c) to feel the high.

d) to sleep well. 

e) no reason. It is a habit. I want to have at least one bad habit. I have been doing it for years now and I don't want to stop. 

I have not felt the need for an external stimulant to feel high. I am high on life, as cheesy and cliched as that sounds. There is so much to do and see in this world and being alive is an opportunity every day to strike off one small wish from your list, that there is no greater high for me than that. For instance, when I know I will go trekking the next day, why would I spend the previous night drowning myself in liquor? I would rather sleep well dreaming about the trek.  

People drink and forget where they are and what they did. If something makes you forget, why do it? Aren't things that you spend money on, supposed to help you make memories, that you will remember and cherish? You should want to remember and relive the moments. 

I kind of get the bit about being able to bond better after a couple of pegs are down your throat. I have seen strangers loosen up after a drink. They chat with random people and random people become pals at the end of the night. 

I just think spending so much money to be pals with strangers is a bit too much. 

And sometimes, misunderstandings and fights are brushed under the carpet with the excuse, "He was drunk when he said that."

As for the sleep better rationale, if I need alcohol to sleep well, night after night, there must be something bugging me, right? A good day in your life is one where, you are so tired, mentally or physically, depending on your job type, that the bed calls out to you, embraces you in a soft slumber, and awakens you to the refreshing start of another beautiful day. And assuming that alcohol does give you sound sleep, wouldn't that be dependence? A man does not tolerate being controlled by his wife. But he is okay with being controlled by his drink. That is something I cannot fathom. Anyways, I have nothing against people who drink. I don't understand the logic, that's all. Ultimately, to each his own. Live and let live. 

I can't stand alcohol, but boy, do I love the bottles the damn thing comes packed in? I am truly like the kid in a candy shop when I accompany my husband as he shops for his beer. I explore the isles, looking for quirky bottles. Some in vibrant colors, some in lovely designs. I am totally fascinated by the bottles. The myriad shapes these bottles come in! Exquisite designs!

Cheers to that!