This is me - Bio, Thoughts and Other Ramblings

Rambling / Experience: Why I don't drink

Date: 07/04/19

So, this is prompted by an experience I had a few weeks ago.

After the general assembly of our concert band, as usual, we stayed a little longer after the official business was over. When the restaurant closed, a group of us (we were six or eight, I think) went to the winebar down the road.

Now, as I found out two weeks ago, one of the guys who didn't come with us only did so because he was fasting and because being the only one drinking water was stupid.

I laughed out loud when I heard that.

Because I am - almost always - the only one not drinking anything alcoholic. 98 % of the time, I drink water (still water at that, can you imagine?). On a rare occasion, I order an ice tea.

Now, in concert bands, there's a lot of people who love drinking. Beer being the most popular choice. End-of-year concerts, band trips, national wind band festival, or even after rehearsal, people in concert bands in my country are fond of having a beer. Or two. Or a lot more. I still remember how shocked I was at how quickly the three dozen beers disappeared that somebody ordered for our band on my first national wind band festival...

So you see how I'm the odd one in this scenario.

Funnily enough, after 7 years in concert band, people have started accepting it. There are no more gasps of "Just water? Are you sure?" when I order water. No more reassurances that it's okay to order something else. No more confused frowns when I pass on the beer that has been set in front of me when somebody pays a round for everyone.

There are still occasions when I am offered a beer. If somebody goes to fetch another round, I'm asked: "What about you?" It's a nice thing to do and I appreciate that they include me. But there's no more shock when I just say "No thanks" or "Can you get me a water?".

There's also some teasing about me not drinking, but it's good-natured. Mostly, it's a joke about me being the designated driver or rather the stand-in driver if my almost-neighbour (long story, I'll explain that in another chapter sometime) has had too much to drink.

Nobody calls me a stick in the mud or a teetotaler. Sure, some of the younger guys (who think they are so cool) sometimes complain that water is boring, but that has stopped bothering me long ago.

It's become something people just accepted. And for me, who has been the odd duck for as long as I can remember, it's an awesome feeling. I still have to defend my choice of drink when I'm out with friends, but not in concert band.

"No beer? Why not?" I've heard this countless times, mostly uttered in a scandalised or shocked tone.

"I don't like it" is my answer. I have never tasted beer, but the smell is enough to put me off. Or I say: "I don't want one." Or: "I prefer water." (Which is absolutely true, my preferred drink is and always has been still water.)

"What about [insert alcoholic drink of choice]?"

"I don't like the taste of alcohol." Another truth.

"Well, you should try [insert alcoholic drink where the taste is masked by other flavours]. You won't taste the alcohol in there."

Which solves the not liking the taste of alcohol issue. But to me, these drinks are even more dangerous. You don't notice the alcohol, you drink more. More alcohol - more inebriated more quickly - worse hangover.

Even my best friend shakes her head at me when I say I don't want to drink. She doesn't get it. Which is okay. Many people like the taste of alcohol or beverages that contain alcohol. They like the feeling that comes with the alcohol.