I’m getting a weird mix of reactions to my detox
I know some people think it’s strange to stop drinking for a month just to prove that I can. But really, it’s so much more than that. This is a way for me to realign my health. It’s not an end to my partying, but a beginning to living healthier. Every so often you need to do something drastic to kick your life back into shape. So, I guess some people get what I’m trying to do, some don’t.
I’ve gotten a wide range of reactions from supportive to teasing to insults to downright anger. I’ve had a bartender call me a pussy. Several people would hear what I was doing and say things like, “What are you … a fucking idiot?” before walking away. Of course my true friends know better. Sure they still tease me by waiving shots under my nose or buying me Shirley Temples, but at least they understand what I’m doing.
Sometimes I think those who get nasty are simply doing it out of a kind of self loathing. They’ve probably seen a real problem in themselves that they are not ready or willing to face. Me? I never said I had a problem with drinking. It was the smoking, bad food and questionable choices that come as a result of the drinking. I’m just passed the halfway point and can’t believe I’ve made it this far.
I’m by no means feeling sanctimonious about this. I’ll surely be drinking cold pints again when it’s over. My hope is that I won’t be bumming smokes or eating crap food when that time comes. Another hope is that I won’t let my drunken mind choose the course of a particular night. That enough of my detoxified sober mind will remain to make sure I get my work done or go home at the right moments.
So to those who think this is silly or easy or (worse) stupid … you can go screw. And you won’t be invited to my ‘Falling Off the Wagon’ party either.
