Soulbriety by Elisa Hallerman

Author:Elisa Hallerman [HALLERMAN, ELISA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hachette Books
Published: 2022-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

ONCE I’M SOBER, I have to be creative as I navigate all the after-hours screenings, parties, and client dinners that are expected in my line of work. I am lucky to have found a good crew of sober friends, male and female, and I do my best to stick with them for personal socializing. But at work events, I’m on my own. I talk to both Cynthia and Donald before each event, and they say the same things: drive your own car, make a plan for when you’ll leave and then stick to it, and remember that nothing good happens after 11 p.m.

The hardest part is the first twenty minutes of an event. It takes about that long for me to get comfortable in my new surroundings. Back when I was drinking I had a routine: head straight to the bar, down my first drink and have my second in hand within the first ten minutes. Now I develop a new routine. Upon entering a party, I walk straight to the bathroom instead of the bar. I calmly collect myself in the stall and practice my breathing. Then I say a little prayer, usually the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. After a few minutes, I head back into the party. Next, I go to the bar and order myself a Diet Coke. One night I accidently get a Jack and Coke instead. I literally spit the drink out onto the floor and switch to water from then on.

After getting my drink, I find someone who seems easy to talk to. I stay away from real work conversations to begin with. All I can handle at this point in the night is some light hi, how are you. If for some reason I can’t find a gentle soul to chat with and I get anxious, I just head back to the bathroom and start again. Stall, breathe, pray—leave my drink in the bathroom and go to the bar to get a new one. By this point it’s usually been twenty minutes or so. I’m getting used to my fish-out-of-water surroundings, and I’m ready to network—which is the whole reason I’m there. I do what I need to do, leave between 9 and 10 p.m., and I’m home in bed before 11 p.m. every time—no exceptions.

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