Sober October

I'm taking a break from alcohol.

It's something I like to do from time to time. The reasons are multivariate and interlocking. It's somewhere between a test, a punishment, and a recalibration with elements of all three.

One one level, it's a healthy move for my body. I am currently working on my fitness and 30 days without the calories and carbs of beer or the blow to ketosis whiskey strikes aids on that front. It's also easier to stay motivated to go for an early morning walk on the weekends when not sleeping off a night of indulgence.

On another level, it's a healthy move for my mind. I have a complicated relationship with alcohol. Alcoholism runs in my family - something I am keenly aware of and that knowledge eats away at my self-image every time I have a few too many. Was that just me having a few beers to celebrate the weekend, or was I responding to a compulsion? Taking a break assures me that I am able to take a break. It assures me that I am in control, that I have some volition in the matter.

No beer has ever tasted as good as the first beer after a dry month.

All of those benefits aside, this is a rough time to be going completely sober what with this being the Twilight of the American Empire and all. Between the pandemic and the slow, lurching onset of a whatever the fuck is going to happen with the election, removing any coping mechanism feels like a bad idea.

We all need to draw what comfort we can in these dark times, but I am going to focus on abstaining and gathering comfort from that exercise of will.