Why I don’t sip the sweet nectar that is excreted from the arse-end of bacteria. 5 Reasons.
I am often asked why I don’t drink alcohol, so I thought I would answer the question here. I have in fact quite a number of reasons. It first came about when I became a christian in 1996. I just thought that was one of the rules so I made the decision easily.
Prior to that I would get wasted maybe once every week or two, but I never really enjoyed the taste. I’d have to hold my nose to drink beer and spirits, much to the amusement of my friends.
After being a christian for a while I realised that it wasn’t so much the consuming of alcohol that was frowned upon, so much as getting blind drunk and having the respect for your body not to kill off brain cells that way. I didn’t see any point in drinking without getting drunk so that didn’t change my decision.
5 reasons why I don’t drink now:
1. I enjoy being in control
And when I was at uni I was around drunk people a lot. So I saw all the stupid decisions and mistakes that drunk people make all the time.
The most stupid of all stupid decisions, that really pisses me off, is drunk driving.
Many individual’s become completely oblivious to how drunk they are. The rational, objective part of their brain completely turns off, and think that they are capable of driving.
“Killed needlessly by a drunk driver” – Do you want that on the gravestone of your loved ones?
(I’m all for zero tolerance for drink driving. Please, sign the petition. Yes, yes, it’s a petition for Botswana, but I couldn’t find a New Zealand one, so it will have to do.)
2. Because I don’t need to be drunk to have fun
I don’t have any inhibitions about how I dance. I like to be the crazy guy breakdancing and thrashing around, that point to and think “oh, I wish I was as brave as him!”.
At a party once, I was jumping around to the music pulling all these phreaky moves with a mate and people were coming up to my brother and saying “dude, your brother is so trashed!!” and he would say “actually, he hasn’t drunk in about 6 years!!”
I seem to be missing the gene: “can only loosen up and have fun when drunk”.
3. Because I like to drive
I can take my own car anywhere, leave whenever I want to, and not have to shell out $20 for a taxi or bum a ride off somebody else (or get stranded in town with no money and no way to get home).
4. Because it still tastes bad
Although it is a distinct possibility I could swallow a sickly sweet alco-pop without holding my nose, I find beer, spirits and wine abhorrent.
I seem to be missing the gene: “alcohol tastes pleasant”.
5. Because its an expensive hobby
I didn’t have a lot of money when I was at uni but I loved to go into town for a thrash, and a few hours out often costs me nothing.
After being a christian for a while I realised that it wasn’t so much the consuming of alcohol that was frowned upon, so much as getting blind drunk and having the respect for your body not to kill off brain cells that way. I didn’t see any point in drinking without getting drunk so that didn’t change my decision.
I don’t drink now, because:
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I enjoy being in control.
And being sober around drunk people a lot, I see what stupid decisions and mistakes that drunk people make all the time. The one that really gets to me is drunk driving where often the individual is completely oblivious to how drunk they are and think that they are capable of driving. |
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Because I don’t need to be drunk to have fun.
I don’t have any inhibitions about how I dance, I like people to notice the crazy dude breakdancing and thrashing around. At a party once, I was jumping around to the music pulling all these phreaky moves with just one other dude and people were coming up to my brother and saying “dude, your brother is so trashed!!” and Tim would say “actually, he hasn’t drunk in about 6 years!!” |
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Because I like to drive.
I can take my own car anywhere, leave whenever I want to, and not have to shell out $10 or so for a taxi or bum a ride off somebody else. |
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Because it still tastes bad.
Although I’m sure I could find something to my liking, the traditional beer and spirits are not. |
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Because its expensive.
I don’t have a lot of money right now but I do like to go into town for a thrash, and a few hours out often costs me nothing. |
OH the picture UGH!!
Hahah! Btw, i just randomly happened along your blog and I actually really like it! haha!
sucks for you
Aye,faith and begorrah,Jonny me lad!When they opened my dear old dad up for his appendix,they found his liver to be filled with cancer.It wasn’t spots,so it wouldn’t have shown up on X-rays.His liver,soaked for decades in booze,was like a piece of fruit that had gone completely,or mostly,rotten.His colon and prostate were cancerous,too.He died a very painful,miserable death.His behavior(sticking his kids’ heads in the toilet, spitting,choking,punching,insane screaming)more than qualified him for a padded cell.Sober up!
No, sucks for you Jonny McWasted if you need it to have fun and loosen up.
Nice one – good on you. alcohol is the second biggest killer next to cigarettes in a world that craves substance but doesn’t have any.
Despite losing BOTH HIS LEGS in a drunk driving accident, Obama’s biological father continued to drive drunk.He finally died in his THIRD DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENT.Our “glorious leader” should thank God he wasn’t raised by him. He might be dead,or crippled.At least my drunken father didn’t drive.
My alcoholic father also smoked cigarettes,then just cigars.His reward:cancer of the colon,liver,prostate.
Nice article, I like. I’m one of those people who can dance crazily as well, if I have a friend with me, without getting drunk! Anyway, it’s great to see more people who don’t need to live off the substance to have fun. Everyone thinks I’m weird for it, oh well 🙁
Actually I’m sure they are jealous of us!
Hey,
I love the pic!:) Or do I?Well, that was me last New Year (without the santa outfit and just the pants. )It was ridiculous….
I recently made the decision to stop drinking. The main reason I started to drink (I had my first drink when I was 21) was to break free from my strict church upbringing. I studied at the University and everybody was getting to know everybody…through alcohol. I started to drink every weekend and all of a sudden in became a regular part of my life. When I went out with the buds you drank alcohol, it was just a regular part of the social circle.
A few months ago I stumbled across Dr. Wayne Dyers writings and teachings. I felt as if I for the first time really understood that it is actually possible to change your ways…it all of a sudden became clear to me that things that I was doing, things that I was thinking did not build me up as a human being. I felt trapped, literally.
The thoughts off giving up alcohol for good was something that had been lingering in my mind for a while…I´d been reading alot about the effects alcohol has on the brain, nervous system and the overall body. I became alarmed, to say the least. I knew it, but I had chosen not to know it.
Then, I “fell in love” with Dr. wayne Dyers way of explaining life, thinking and excuses. I saw his movie The Shift, which I highly reccomend and in it he tells the story how he decided to stop drinking alcohol alltogether. I don´t really know what happend, but I, the next morning when I woke up, had decided not to drink anymore. I have really experienced a shift in my thinking. This was a month ago and I have´nt felt one single desire to drink, it is truly amazing. (Yes, I have been out with the pals, partners etc. and felt no desire what so ever)
I have more energy, I can work out on saturday morning, cause I don´t have that ugly hangover anymore:) I sleep better overall and I just feel as if I am more in control of my self and my body.
Yes, I know that there will probably come times when I will have the urge…all i have to do then is to go back in time and remember when I had my AhA moment. Or maybe I had the last urge last month:) Its all good!
Best Regards
Linus
Wow. Great story. Thanks for sharing Linus. 🙂
North Europeans often have a problem with alcohol. In Park Slope, during the 50’s and 60’s, my dear old dad would come home from work(his union must have help keep him from getting fired, if his boozing affected his work)”drunk as a lord” and beat the shit out of his wife and kids. One day, on Lincoln Place, his drinking must have ruined his appetite. He put his meat on my plate, then picked up his potatoe, and pitched against the refrigerator like a frigging baseball! Maybe he was imagining that he was pitching in Ebbets Field!It left a brown gravy stain on the fridge after it hit, then fell on the linoleum floor. At least 2 of his 8 kids “had a problem with the drink” One brother drank, smoked pot continuously, and also did heroin and cocaine. A few years ago, he asked his wife to get some Chinese food for him; when she returned, he threw a potted plant through the car window. After jail , the drunk farm, drinking again while living with me, (tormenting the shit out of me with his issues,) he finally joined AA, and she took him back. Thank God! A sister( she liked wine, I guess that made her a wino) tried to kill herself a few times before she quit drinking. 2 of my nieces have been in rehab, 1 twice. Many of my sibling have married alcoholics, so I guess booze and drugs will be a family tradition for generations to come. If a person’s parent or sibling has a drinking problem, they probably should not drink. This should be taughtt o kids in school. The biological father of ‘our glorious leader’ was an alcoholic, he probably should not drink.
I don’t drink anymore either. Gave it up 7 years ago now. The money I wasted, the puke, the hangovers, the stupidity. Funny how a guy can go from pickled in rum, eager for a drink anytime, to dry. I had unexpected help – an illness initially made me stop, but I could have started up again, and didn’t.
The reason was that with a bit of space from the partying lifestyle, I realised how much a waste of my time it was. Nothing good ever came from it, no “networking”, no long term relationships, no nothing. Just regret, “accidents” and trouble. And I noticed I like being sober, I could do more things, had more free time – I liked to think clearly, learn new things and make plans. I also noticed that as soon as alcohol entered any social equation, events turned bad, or at least plain dumb. People do dangerous things when alcohol is around. They don’t even have to be drunk. It’s like a trigger. I discovered that if I wanted to halve unnecessary risk in life, all I had to do was stay away from booze or places where it was being sold or consumed. That simple. Second best life choice I ever made.
Wow, great story!