Alcohol isn’t going to make your problems disappear. That’s an indisputable fact. At best, a few drinks might make them seem a little less daunting for a short amount of time, and any pain you felt while sober will be temporarily dulled.
And let’s be honest: if you aren’t struggling with addiction, what’s so wrong with that?
Sure, there are a ton of more constructive and socially-acceptable things you could be doing to help yourself along the healing process (all in good time, of course, all in good time), but taking a night or two to forget about your problems isn’t as self-destructive as the world would have you believe. Alcohol isn’t a solution, but man, is it ever a diversion; and sometimes, that’s all you really need.
I think most of us can safely agree that you’ve officially earned a few guilt-free drinks if…
1. You Were Recently Dumped
Heartbreak is the ultimate fuel for self-reflection, but you’ll never get to that existential place without a little liquid encouragement. And while drinking might increase the risk of drunken texts or phone calls to the ex in question, getting out of your comfort zone and meeting friends on the town is exactly what you need after a major break up.
I’ll just have whatever’s on tap, thanks.
2. You Needed to Diffuse an Awkward Situation
Your two best friends are fighting, your co-workers just showed up at the bar, or you’re about to run into your arch nemesis (read: ex-love interest). Regardless of how this troublingly awkward occurrence came to pass, it’s time for you to ignore the elephant in the room and have a few well-timed laughs. Let’s face it: you’re never going to be able to accomplish that sober.
So, what kind of wine do you have?
3. You Were at a Family Function
Holidays, reunions, weddings, you name it–family functions are incredibly awkward, and often, incredibly expensive if you had to travel a great distance to attend. Unless you all live in the same town and see each other often (and that scenario comes with a host of other problems alcohol can fix), you probably don’t have much in common with your extended family beyond the blood relation. At best, you’ll be spending most of the party trying to avoid nosy relatives fielding questions about your lifestyle, and at worst, you’ll be reminded why you haven’t interacted with most of your cousins since grade school.
Open bar? Sweet. Scotch on the rocks, please.
4. You Had a Terrible Day at Work
These days, many of us are slumming it at a thankless job that has nothing to do with our degree. The economy and job market hasn’t been kind of this generation’s twenty-somethings, and having a bad day at the office is less of an exception to the rule and more of a daily norm. When jobs are scarce, employers have more freedom to take advantage of their entry-level workers, and as a result, those of us at the bottom of the professional totem pole will likely be spending more time at the bar than our parents ever did.
Do you guys serve gin here?
