King’s Lynn Beake Speaks talks about alochol and weddings
Well my friends have tied the knot and I thoroughly enjoyed their wedding last weekend.
Although it was a tiring weekend of being pampered and enjoying our mini break at Heacham Manor but you know, I got through it.
Heacham Manor is just up the road but it was nice to get away for a weekend and enjoy the five star service that it provides. I gave the hotel restaurant The Mulberry a five star review in Eat My Words and the staff really do go above and beyond.
I have a running joke with my friend that people always assume I am her mother. It has happened three times on different occasions. I thought I looked younger that my average 48 years but clearly not.
But I don't mind, if my friend was actually my daughter I would be super proud of her.
Weddings can be a real hot spot of emotion and I understand that when emotional events happen that alcohol can play a part in it being a great experience or turning negative.
I will be sober for six years this year and weddings are often cited as a trigger for people who abstain from drinking alcohol to start again. I have had my own negative experiences of getting drunk at weddings and things going a little pear shaped.
I am no hypocrite but what interests me is the role that alcohol plays at big events like this. The first wedding I attended sober was a while ago now and what I realised was that there can be a lot of waiting around and I think filling in the time because of boredom means just drinking to pass the time.
Do we really need alcohol to be sociable? Do we need it to have a good time when the good times suddenly turns into a nightmare due to being too drunk.
Nobody sets out usually to cause problems but the booze ultimately wins.
All I can say to anyone who may feel they are drinking too much alcohol and that it is negatively impacting their life is to go to their doctor and talk about it.
My daily life is infinitely better not being in the cycle of drinking. Thinking about drinking, drinking and getting over the results of drinking too much.
I thoroughly enjoyed drinking non alcohol gin and ciders and had a great time with my ever so patient partner.
We watched the sunset, chatted to people while the tables and chairs were all moved to turn the dining area into the disco room. Those bits are what I describe as being boring; there can be a lot of waiting around.
Boredom is a state of mind and being social is something we all struggle with and turn to Dutch courage to seemingly make us more confident in social situations.
To quote Mark Twain: "Water taken in moderation cannot hurt anybody."