Hi Ladies!
My last blog was so long ago, at Christmas 2018 and the year has flown by. I had given up drinking wine the month before and was feeling pretty pleased with myself.
But after nine months on the wagon, I can honestly say I never thought of myself as a non-drinker but now I do. And its better than okay – its actually great. I’m not a wowser and have no problems with being around drinkers at all, but I’m a converted woman. I loved my wine, but I discovered it didn’t love me (cliche’ I know)
I had a lot on my plate at the end of 2017, my second son was graduating from Senior at a private school. There was a fair amount of stress with this as he was the second son I had put through the private system and it isn’t cheap. I was working long hours to make the money to pay the fees, the rent, the food, the sporting fees, shoes and clothes so it would have been the ideal time for me to actually take up drinking.
But at the time, there was so many end of year social activities I had to go to plus the end of school events, plus the normal Christmas get togethers – and so many of them came with alcohol included.
I decided, if I am to survive this year, I am going to have to stop all together. So I did. And I have sailed through it – in fact I have thrived.
There is always a reason to drink: happy, sad, busy, time up my sleeve, broke, rich, catching up with friends, brunch, lunch, dinner and well because its…any day ending in Y.
But if you decide not to drink – all those decisions are taken away and life is actually so much easier.
I suffered from terrible guilt and shame the morning after I drank. I never had a ‘hangover’ or a headache but suffered extreme guilt. This in turn became a vicious circle of insecurity and confidence when I had a glass/bottle of bubbly.
And as I have often said since I gave up, I was a really really good drinker and better than most of the people I knew. I could drink three bottles of bubbly regularly or a bottle of Bundy with coke on special occasions.
The difference between me and the people with issues, was that mine was all done with a nice tablecloth, an opulent cheese platter, flowers or decorations on the table, lovely champagne flutes – I was much classier.
I started on bubbly at 17 with Summer Wine and loved it. The only times I didn’t drink was when I was pregnant – I never had a drink with either pregnancy and I never wanted one.
I loved learning about wine, going to vineyards, tasting wines – I just loved the whole industry, however a wine tasting event was just the entree to the nights activities which included much more guzzling.
I don’t have a problem with my past or make any apologies for the years of loving wine and drinking to excess. I have been in media advertising, fundraising and promotions for 30 years – and it has always been a part of life and the job and I have loved it.
But, I think it is a major problem in society and with women in particular. We work, run families, organise the home, bring in the money, do the sport run, the homework, make the decisions and a $10 bottle of wine becomes our fun and our friend.
And that is the way we get through the day, the week, the month and the year. It is not good for any part of us and particularly our health – women’s health I believe is in crises.
Somebody mentioned last week – “We don’t go out to have fun anymore and have a few drinks while we are out. We go out to drink.” And I thought, that is so true and that is how it was for me.
So back to today. I love not drinking. I love to wake up feeling fabulous and know what I said and did the day before. If I have lost my place in a book, I know its only because I am forgetful and while annoying, its not embarrassing.
But, again I do think there are serious health problems amongst women associated with drinking and in particular heart disease. I had a serious conversation prior to giving up -with a lady I know. She was shocked to find out she had cardiomyopathy and like me loved a wine – she was told she couldn’t drink one more or she would die. I felt this was in my future if I didn’t stop and I still believe I dodged a bullet.
And, so in honour of all of that – I am proclaiming the 1st November every year – the Queensland Alcohol Free Day. Whatever you would have spent that day I would love you to donate to Dr Ralph Gomes and his amazing program – Heart of Australia – delivering heart specialist services to remote and rural Queensland – https://www.heartofaustralia.com/donate/
If you would have had one bottle – you donate the value of that bottle, but if its a Friday and you were going to tie one on – then they should expect about $200 from you and all your friends.
More details will follow but in the meantime, I am not a wowser, I am still hilarious, more so I have been told……
I have had a few moments over the past nine months when I smelt a red wine and thought ‘oh I know how good that would taste’, but only a few. And I’ve had a few tough months this year with the loss of my father, but I didn’t feel the need to have a drink at all to get through that journey – quite the opposite actually – I needed to be real and in the moment and never have regrets later.
I am always around to chat if you need any encouragement x
Cheers!
