Ok. So here's my take on going to parties with alcohol when you're straight edge. It can be alright. Most of the time it's tollerable in my experience. But it definitely depends on your level of disgust with the effects of acholol on the people at the party. More specifically it depends on the effects of alcohol on the people you know at the party. Who cares what strangers do or how they act. Take for example the office party. The holiday office party where you get to see your bosses tanked. This is one of those times when I would prefer simply not to go. Or, as I did this year, simply make an appearance for a few minutes and then escape to the yummy Thai restaurant next door. Some of the last people on earth that I want to see drunk or tipsy are the people I work with. They are all generally interesting people and I enjoy talking to them on a day-to-day basis. I respect them. But seeing them all happy for no reason, maybe stumbling on their words or professing their love for one another... well it does very, very little to boost my confidence with them in the workplace. Yes, I have to keep it in perspective. People drink. Surprise.
Another funky situation is when you go out to drink with a significant other. Here's where it gets tricky. Ok... don't want to intrude on their lifestyle if they are a drinker. But, you definitely don't want to see them tipsy either. Hell no, because as a straight edge guy I can guarantee that you didn't become attracted to them when they were tipsy and they certainly aren't going to get more attractive when they are tipsy. In fact they will be substantially less attractive. Massively so. And that feeling can last for a week. And then with friends... if someone needs alcohol to become interesting then they're boring in the first place and it's very pathetic. If they were interesting and then get drunk they don't get more interesting.
I'm convinced that the whole trick to parties with alcohol is that NOBODY there should really be sober. Think of it like this... the next day, Monday or whatever, if people are standing around talking about how stupid they all got at the party it's no big deal. But if there's a straight edge guy stanting there too... and he says "yeah, you were a fucking idiot when you photocopied your ass cheek on the new minolta copier." it carries a different kind of weight. And even if you, straight edger, don't mean it in some kind of mean way, it doesn't come accross nicely if you yourself weren't drunk. Which explains why I lost entire groups of friends from time to time after parties in high school and college.
So yeah. I'm trying to level out my intensity when it comes to the reality and pervasiveness of alcohol. It's here. The vast majority of people don't think about it like I do. And if I stuck with the people who do think about it like I do I'd be a damn lonely man. But it doesn't mean that I should go somewhere that I'm uncomfortable or be friends with or date people who do things I'm uncomfortable with. Fortunately I have a certain level of resigned comfort with alcohol. Those who take it in with a moderated or european perspective are easier for me to understand and be comfortable with. It takes work, it's definitely effort, but it can be done. But then I know that it will take the people at my office to take time getting comfortable with me being sober at their parties. Even if the decide to keep photocopying their asses. ;-)
taken from: http://www.straight-edge-life.com/SXE/997
ps. : Part of my resolution. Don't wanna do it again, dude! ;-)
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