I can’t drink anymore. Well, hardly anything. And it pisses me off.
In my twenties, my roommate and I would marvel at the volume of wine bottles in the trash can after a weekend. We were embarrassed, but maybe a little proud of ourselves. What partiers we were! She and I still went to work Monday morning, feeling fine, ready to take on the world.
In my thirties, I noticed I had to be more careful or I’d get a hangover. It didn’t happen very often, because I was working hard, building my career and raising my son. I didn’t get out that much. Although rare, waking up with a headache and a queasy stomach nevertheless served as a reminder that I had overindulged, and I learned to dial it back.
But then middle age crept up, and in my forties I noticed this new phenomenon: the pre-hangover. Even if I drank very little, just a couple of glasses of wine, I might still wake up the next morning feeling tired, sluggish and unmotivated. How depressing.
Now in my fifties, there’s even a new phase: impairment. After one glass of wine, I feel like taking a nap. I don’t have the snap and verve of normal energy. If I want to get anything done after that, forget it. So if I’m dining out, I’ll order a diet Coke. If I’m at a party, I’ll mix diet Seven-Up with white wine, and drink a lot of water. Woo hoo.
Not.
Ah, well. A person adjusts, and there are benefits. I’m sure I’m healthier. I like waking up in the morning feeling clear-headed and energetic. I weigh about five pounds less than I used to, and my stomach is flatter. I’m a popular dinner companion because I fill the role of designated driver.
The only downside is watching other people suck it down, and listening to their increasingly brainless laughter.
Party on.
Yes I do Deb an dI am forever grateful!
Your posts always seem to send me down memory lane! This one took me to my first drink. At a family party to celebrate my 18th birthday and high school graduation ,my father fixed me a whiskey sour that knocked my socks off. After slugging that down way too fast , he asked me if I wanted another one to which I readily agreed. As I stood dazed and unsteady in my living room ,with distorted visions of my family surrounding me,he stood before me ,put his hands on my shoulder and said calmly ” now you see what alcohol can do” He never said another word about it again and I never had more than two drinks at a time after that. That’s my story and I’m stinkin’ to it. The only thing that’s different these days is now it only takes one glass of wine to put me to sleep!! I’m with Nanci.
Thanks for another trip down memory lane,Lynne!
What a wise and wonderful father you have!
I laughed out loud when I read this. I totally relate, give me a glass of wine and put me to bed (ALONE). What a shame….. I’m an iced tea with extra lemon girl myself!
It isn’t fair, is it? I go wine tasting and I have to share with my husband. And I can only manage a couple wineries before I have to eat something. I’ve turned into such a freakin’ lightweight!
Golly, Lynne, you are so right! When I think of how ALL of us used to party and no longer can, it’s “sobering”! Odd, since our parents’ generation partied right up until they (a) went into a nursing home, or (b) passed away. I wonder what it is that’s causing it — gaining some sense as we gain years, maybe?!
Or maybe they built up their tolerance to a level that we can only imagine!