"I Don't Drink"

It's 1.36am and I find myself surrounded by intoxicated strangers; not an unusual Friday night for the majority of young people who find themselves stuck in this strange haze of time before university begins. 

1.54am. I've moved to the packed smoking area to cool down after dancing on the packed dance floor, and find myself making the usual small talk with another tipsy stranger. Eventually, the inevitable comes up, "You don't drink?!" they say, staring at me like I've suddenly transformed into a mythical creature... It's one of the many reactions I get when I tell people I don't drink and have never been drunk. However other reactions can include, "That's cool, I really admire your will power" or, "Are you crazy?!" or, "Wait, so you're sober right now?". 

When asked, 'why', not many accept my well-rehearsed reply - "I just don't" - and try to extract a religious or health explanation from me, neither of which I have. 

Anyway, the point of this whole blog post was just to sum up my views on the whole matter really - I do always get asked why, and despite me not having as concrete of an answer as I'd like (I'm still trying to figure it out too) it's really not as complicated as people make out.

So here are some FAQ's I've gathered over the years not only from nights out, but also chilled social outings, customers at work and the internet (this is starting to sound like some sort of science experiment haha).

"How do you cope with being around drunk people?" 

Well it's quite simple really, you just do! You just have to relax and laugh about it; getting annoyed with a bumbling drunk won't make them any more sober, so what's the point of ruining your own fun? 

"How do you have fun/enjoy clubbing?"

I personally seem to bounce off whatever vibe is in the place I'm in, and I'm comfortable enough to just go for it really. Except however for slut dropping - I just can't bring myself to slut drop sober! Mainly because I am not graceful enough to execute such a movement correctly, and as much as I don't care, I just know I would fall... so I just sort of laugh it off/awkwardly bob whilst the all my friends disappear elegantly to the floor...

If I ever do start to feel embarrassed or self-conscious, I just put it in perspective, reminding myself  that 90% of the people around me will struggle to remember any of tonight, let alone another tall, blonde, randomer on the dance floor, and if I'm concentrating on myself, other people are probably concentrating on themselves too. This pep talk always finishes with, just get a grip and go for it. Usually works!

"You were definitely drinking last night Selina"

I get this a lot the morning after haha, and definitely take it as a compliment! I've seen enough drunk people in my time to know how to act like one! 

In their defence, I always manage to look the most drunk out of everyone in photos...

"Will you ever drink?" 

Simple answer; I don't know! I can't give a definite answer in the same way I can't predict whether one day I'll actually like green vegetables. 

"I think you need to get drunk at some point in your life, just to feel it"

I disagree with this, and whenever people suggest this to me it actually makes me so much more determined not to drink. There is not a compulsory tick list for life, and it makes me sad that people feel it's something they need to do just because it's what goes rather than making their own rational decision about it. If you've made your own rational decision about drinking, great. Just don't go pressuring other people to make the same decision as you - everyone's different!

I don't want this post to seem as if I'm looking down my nose at those who do drink, because I really don't - I'm not judging people who drink, but then I'm not advocating for non-drinking either. If you feel you want to drink to be more social, that's cool - go for it! If not, that's cool too - pat yourself on the back and grab a pint diet coke. Just do whatever suits you.

It's so easy to think of a non-drinking teenager as that boring one who stands in the corner all night, judging the actions of all those who pass their way, but this isn't the case at all. Some people just work differently, that's all.

For me, not drinking is kind of a part of my personality for now - I don't want to become someone I'm not. The people I make friends with on nights out are strangers the next morning. I'd personally rather meet some people and get to know them on a genuine level without using alcohol as a social catalyst, and that's all there is to it really - it's not as complicated as it seems.

Originally posted on 16/09/14.