In my profile picture I'm holding a wine glass
Yep. In my profile picture...
...I look like I don't mind having a drink here and there. Actually, I kind of do mind having a drink here and there. Don't get me wrong. I'm holding a wine glass in the picture, but I drink very, very little. In fact, that's the only glass I had all night. Pretty much everyone else was drunk.
I used to hang out in bars and clubs. VIP. The whole nine yards. Montreal. NYC. I had guest list. I liked clubs for the music. In my fantasy life, I'm a dancer. I'm not a hip hop dancer, or a club dancer, a tap dance or a stripper. I'm the kind of dancer who auditions for big time contemporary Broadway shows. That's why I enjoy movies like Flashdance and Staying Alive. That's my fantasy life. I'm going to make it BIG in the world of dance, you guys!
Sorry. I frequently go off topic. You'll get used to it.
So, drinking. When you go to a lot of clubs and bars, people offer you drinks. I don't mean guys. I mean bartenders, barmaids, owners and general people in your crowd. Usually, you don't know these people very well because, well, generally you're not good friends with people who hang out at clubs. Does that make sense? Anyway, they like to offer you a drink to show you that they like you. The worst thing they can hear is "No thanks, I don't drink." That's like hearing, "No thanks, I don't want a Ferrari, I don't drive." Usually, people will take something if it's free.
So, right about now, some of you may be thinking, so what? Yeah. That's what I thought. So what? So what if I don't want a drink? But nooooooo. Usually it turns into a HUGE DEAL. Why? Why not? Why don't you want a drink? What's wrong with drinking? It doesn't make you a bad person if you drink!
Whooooaaaaa Nelly. How did a simple "no thank you" turn into a value judgment?
First of all, don't you think it's a little bit rude to question somebody who says they don't drink? Maybe I'm an alcoholic? I'm not an alcoholic, so don't worry. But I COULD be an alcoholic. These people don't know that.
Second, why do I have to drink? Frankly, I don't particularly like the taste of alcohol. I ahbor beer. It tastes like liquid bread to me. If I have a drink, it needs to be sweet. Like sweet wine or one of those fancy specialty martinis. But, when did drinking alcohol become a mandatory part of adulthood? Just because you CAN drink alcohol after you turn 18 (Quebec), 19 (Ontario) and 21 (USA) doesn't mean that you HAVE to drink it. I like ananas-banane juice myself. I think I'll stick to that.
Sometimes, when you don't do something that the majority of people are doing, people panic. They wonder - why isn't she doing it? Does that mean that I shouldn't do it either? There's nothing wrong with drinking alcohol in moderation, but if you feel threatened by people who don't drink then maybe you shouldn't be drinking.
...I look like I don't mind having a drink here and there. Actually, I kind of do mind having a drink here and there. Don't get me wrong. I'm holding a wine glass in the picture, but I drink very, very little. In fact, that's the only glass I had all night. Pretty much everyone else was drunk.I used to hang out in bars and clubs. VIP. The whole nine yards. Montreal. NYC. I had guest list. I liked clubs for the music. In my fantasy life, I'm a dancer. I'm not a hip hop dancer, or a club dancer, a tap dance or a stripper. I'm the kind of dancer who auditions for big time contemporary Broadway shows. That's why I enjoy movies like Flashdance and Staying Alive. That's my fantasy life. I'm going to make it BIG in the world of dance, you guys!
Sorry. I frequently go off topic. You'll get used to it.
So, drinking. When you go to a lot of clubs and bars, people offer you drinks. I don't mean guys. I mean bartenders, barmaids, owners and general people in your crowd. Usually, you don't know these people very well because, well, generally you're not good friends with people who hang out at clubs. Does that make sense? Anyway, they like to offer you a drink to show you that they like you. The worst thing they can hear is "No thanks, I don't drink." That's like hearing, "No thanks, I don't want a Ferrari, I don't drive." Usually, people will take something if it's free.
So, right about now, some of you may be thinking, so what? Yeah. That's what I thought. So what? So what if I don't want a drink? But nooooooo. Usually it turns into a HUGE DEAL. Why? Why not? Why don't you want a drink? What's wrong with drinking? It doesn't make you a bad person if you drink!
Whooooaaaaa Nelly. How did a simple "no thank you" turn into a value judgment?
First of all, don't you think it's a little bit rude to question somebody who says they don't drink? Maybe I'm an alcoholic? I'm not an alcoholic, so don't worry. But I COULD be an alcoholic. These people don't know that.
Second, why do I have to drink? Frankly, I don't particularly like the taste of alcohol. I ahbor beer. It tastes like liquid bread to me. If I have a drink, it needs to be sweet. Like sweet wine or one of those fancy specialty martinis. But, when did drinking alcohol become a mandatory part of adulthood? Just because you CAN drink alcohol after you turn 18 (Quebec), 19 (Ontario) and 21 (USA) doesn't mean that you HAVE to drink it. I like ananas-banane juice myself. I think I'll stick to that.
Sometimes, when you don't do something that the majority of people are doing, people panic. They wonder - why isn't she doing it? Does that mean that I shouldn't do it either? There's nothing wrong with drinking alcohol in moderation, but if you feel threatened by people who don't drink then maybe you shouldn't be drinking.
posted by Laurelle St. Laurent at 9:48 p.m.
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