Last night I went out with a group of friends. I decided I was going to go sober for the evening. One of my latest (and probably short lived) attempts at trying to better myself so I don't wake up Monday morning hating myself. Being out in a bar and staying sober is one of the strangest experiences I have ever encountered. I never realized how loud and obnoxious people can be. I was out with my cousin and some pals celebrating a feller's birthday. I got to the establishment at about 8 o'clock. I ordered an iced tea. It was fairly early in the night, but the crew was drinking hard. There was a couple there who informed me they don't get out much, but they had a babysitter and tonight they were going to really let loose. Small talk ensued, and fresh drinks were coming often for the other folks in the group. At approximately 10 or so I really started to look around and take stock of the situation. We were in a fairly large bar, with sports memorabilia adorning the walls, and a few large televisions tuned to the latest tough guy fight. I was starting to feel antsy, and my agoraphobia was starting to really set in. I was on about my 6th iced tea for the night, and I was making trip after trip to the restroom. The married couple who were "letting loose" were doing just that. Voices were getting louder. Shots were being ordered. I smiled, and laughed uncomfortably as the patrons of our group got increasingly silly as the night ticked away. A tiny, adorable Asian waitress kept my iced tea coming at a good clip. After about my 9th one she asked me why I wasn't drinking? And how I could be out with people who were and not want to drink? I informed her that lately my drinking habits have become increasingly worrisome and I was sort of conducting a social experiment with myself to see if I actually could be out in public in a bar with people who were drinking, and not drink myself. She commended me on my will power and fortitude. I found myself both infatuated, and enamored with her. She seemed to genuinely care about what I was saying. After an uncomfortable pause in the dialogue she scurried away to attend to other patrons.
Midnight happened upon us quickly. At this point the jukebox is being played by a few of the people from our group. Your standard 90's alt rock and radio friendly fare. The bar was empty, save a few scattered people in the back few booths, and our group of about 10 people, of which only 4 were folks that I actually knew. The guy sitting to the right of me was a co-worker of the birthday boy. He wore what appeared to be a brand new Green Bay Packers sweatshirt and an oversized ball cap pulled tightly over his elongated, oddly shaped cranium. His eyes were small, and black. He talked needlessly loud, but the things he was saying I found amusing. At one point talk shifted to another co-worker of the birthday boy and this loud colorful feller to my right. Some Czechoslovakian guy they worked with. My new friend quipped "Yeah, Sergio. His hobbies include buying things in bulk, and tearing phone books in half". For some reason this struck me as maddeningly hilarious, and I threw my head back and cackled heartily. Shots arrived. Someone bought me a "shot" of Sprite, because they either felt bad for me or wanted me to feel included. I downed it sheepishly and carried on listening to the crude banter and half mumbled sing alongs of the heavily soused throng.
About 1 AM or so it was decided we would disband and make our way to another bar closer to home. Time to close out the tabs. Our tiny, adorable Asian waitress arrived at our table. I politely asked her to ring me up so I could be on my way. In my head I was trying to do the math on what my bill might be, I probably had about twelve or so iced teas I thought. My tiny overworked bladder was swollen, my eyes were heavy, and I was ready to go home and watch obscure Netflix documentaries and fall asleep on my couch. The waitress returned with my tab. $2.15 was my total. " Two fifteen?!" I exclaimed both surprised and thrilled. A look of panic and concern washed over the face of the sweet little waitress. "Yeah? Is that ok?" she asked. Then it dawned on me that when you are out in an establishment drinking non alcoholic drinks, you usually get free refills. I was quick to explain to her that I was unaware that I had been receiving free refills all night, and I was surprised and happy to have such a miniscule bar tab for once. She laughed, I laughed. I gave her a $10 and told her to keep the change. I said my goodbyes, exchanged high fives, bro hugs, etc, and I was on my way.
So to conclude this entry, I went out last night, and I didn't drink any alcohol. I genuinely had a good time with my friends, and I enjoyed conversing with that little Asian woman. She was sweet and endearing. It was an experiment. I don't know what happens next. I can be a little bit aloof sometimes, and I change my mind a lot, but getting a grip on my drinking habits is something that I have wanted to do for a while now. It could be an interesting road. Goodnight
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