Has anybody else had to fulfill an obligation requiring you to dive into an alcohol laden environment? Whether it be attending a mandatory meeting after a conference with colleagues and executives, or a family wedding… surely everybody will at some point have to prepare themselves for an awkward first date with their ex poison. How did you prepare and how did it make you feel… before, during and after the experience?
I ask because tomorrow night I am tasked with hosting a “beer dinner,” featuring my restaurants new culinary offerings paired with a variety of different beers. We host these gatherings about 5 times a year, and I have played this role a dozen times, but this will the first time I do it sober. I have been moving my commitment forward with optimism, and have also been finding a great deal of gratification in watching the days of my sobriety climb. I do not feel like my sobriety is in jeopardy, but the irony of enticing a group of 60+ guests with beer and food pairings has left me with an indescribable feeling. Alcohol is not going anywhere anytime soon, and unless I decide to remove myself from society, I will always encounter triggers that invoke pesky urges. I embrace strengthening my will by staring my struggle straight in the eyes tomorrow. This is just the first time that doing so has been so blatant.
Hope everybody is having a terrific day!