But first a disclaimer to my freelance clients…
Please don’t let the title of this article worry any of you who depend on me for various pretty designs and time sensitive production. When I refer to drinking on the job, I mean specifically those times when I’m on assignment as a writer and/or photographer chasing down all the fun at night. After all, one of the main reasons I got into that was to party more. However, it’s becoming a detriment.
I noticed this ironically after a night I worked and decided not to drink. It was great. My head was clear. So much so that I didn’t even jot down any of my usually incoherent notes to remember the event. All of the details remained fresh in my head when I awoke pain-free the next morning. This was further emphasized two nights later when I reverted back to my old ways.
I was at a show in a bar. The band was a fantastic group made up mostly of kids who were not even old enough to drink. Their talent was undeniable and I was looking forward to chatting with them after the show. I really wanted to get into their heads since it’s not often I get a chance to see such talent not yet jaded by reality. Then it started. My usual one beer, two beers, three … lose count.
By the end of the night, my inebriated brain decided that the best thing for me to do would be to follow a small group of people to another bar. Apparently the sober part of the brain in charge of good sense was bound and gagged somewhere in my head. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun, but the point of this night was to get to know the band, not write about another one of my bar hopping exploits.
The next morning my pounding head seemed to pound louder and harder than ever before. I sat up slowly and realized that I had very likely blown the story. Now I had to struggle to try and save it. And this was not the first time this had happened. And yes, not to brag but, in the end the story would be saved. Still it drove home a lesson that was a long time coming for me.
Partying on the job is fun. Not many people can say they have that option. But partying to the point of not remembering details or having to email people to fill in voided moments the next day is a bad thing. Especially for a writer. So no more drinking on the job for me. That’s not to say I’ll be sobering up completely. It just means that I will be delaying the party until after my work is done.
In doing this, I hope to be less stressed on deadlines and, perhaps more importantly, I’ll actually appreciate the party even more. It will become the long-needed treat at the end of the chore rather than the purpose of the night. Sorta like those old ‘It’s Miller Time’ commercials just with better beer. Now let’s just see if I can keep this up at the next event that has an open bar.
