In the wake of the fire that has continues to hamper the reopening of my li’l cafe in Hoboken, I find myself with a lot of time on my hands but not a lot of money. I’ve also been dealing with a level of depression and physical and spiritual exhaustion unlike ever before. That — combined with the stress of insurance claims and other varied forms of red tape — has lead me to want to work on bettering my life.
Therefore I am issuing myself three personal challenges:
- Make Music
- Write Stories
- Stop Drinking
Let’s talk about the last one first.
It’s been quite a stretch since I’ve tried to detox like this. The last time I did one of these (and made thru a full month) was in the Fall of 2005. I’ve done shorter ones since then for a week or two, but that just won’t do this time around. With all of the pressures bearing down on me now and for the next few months, the last thing I need is a depressant compounding the fog.
While I call this a ‘Sobriety Challenge’, it really is a detox on a larger scale because once I cut out the booze, I inevitably tend to eat better and drink more water (adding a twist of lemon to look as though I’m holding a cocktail in public). Also, living in Hoboken — where booze and socializing are essentially inseparable — taking time off from drinking forces me to find other ways to be social. So it makes me think more.
I’ve also come to seriously dislike being around overly drunk people. Not the ones who like to toss back and relax, but those falling down, crying, poor-poor-pitiful-me, or belligerent types of drunks. I can’t stand them. But I digress…
It’s my hope that this time of self-imposed prohibition will aid in the fulfillment of my other two, more creative goals. I’m feeling my life grinding to an unbearably boring halt. I need to keep the wheels turning.
Oh I know what you’re thinking. Why the hell would I pick the drinking-est month if the year to do this? Won’t that make it too difficult? Won’t it bring shame to my Irish heritage? The truth is, I don’t care. I simply woke up this morning and decided to do this. It sounded good humming in my hungover head as it rested on my soft pillows. Check back with me in a few days, I may feel differently about the situation.
Cheers!
YES. All of this.