it's not a big deal
I met a fellow former Mormon friend for lunch the other day, and afterwards, we headed to a local coffee shop for an afternoon pick-me-up.
"You know," she said, "of the Mormon 'forbidden fruits,' I like coffee the best. It helps me get through a long day, and just a quarter of a cup will wake me up when I need it to finish work."
"Coffee doesn't affect me so much as that," I said. "I like it, but I have to drink a couple cups to notice any affect. But if I drink too much in one morning, I'll have a buzz so bad I can't concentrate. My brain gets too wired. But I sure do like the social effects of alcohol."
"Oh, yeah, I like alcohol. I really enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. But I can't just drink. All it does is make me tired, so it kills the possibility of helping in an awkward social situation."
Alcohol, I've found, makes me more relaxed and talkative. It really helps in a dinner party, because I'm a little shy, especially around people I don't know well.
The point is we've both picked up coffee and alcohol since leaving Mormonism, yes, but we've also been able to be rational, reasonable decision-makers about it. We cautiously eased our ways in, and have observed how it affects us personally. We know our limits. We can say yes, we can say no. It's just not a big deal.
4 comments:
It's funny watching Mormons in a mixed crowd (Mo and Non-Mo) where there is alcohol. The Mo's act like there's a dead fish in the room, their faces get all scrunched up and their eyes go into that total judgement look if you're seen holding a glass that could hold anything yummy and fulfilling. They sit as far from the bar as possible, and they pointedly ask for water if there are servers.
I make it a point to ask for an extra shot on the side and get a dreamy/blissful look on my face when I knock it back.
Yeah - I'm a grade A ass, but hey, it's easy entertainment.
Sideon, LOL. I can so picture you doing just that.
And did I really have that look of judgement on my face? I hope not.
SML
Yep, I've seen BBQs like that, where the Mormons end up on one end of the park, and the rest end up on the other (even the ones who don't drink; they're just not judgemental about the ones who do). Having my first drink in front of Mormons was weird--but they didn't even realize it was a drink. Mojito.
You're talking my language, Ashes :)
I speak the following: mojito, margarita, cosmopolitan, martini, sea breeze, Tom Collins, snakebite, wolfbite, tequila shots, cabernet, zinfandel, chardonnay, pinot grigio, pinot noir.
I'm fluent in alcohol.
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