Sobriety Sucks | Sober and Unashamed

Sobriety sucks. Now that I don’t drink, I’ve been stripped of my alcohol-induced intelligence and infallibility. I used to be right all the time. That’s why I talked so loud and repeated myself so often. I had a lot to say, and I was proud to bestow on everyone within earshot my slobbery wit and careless observations. They talk about the health benefits of moderate drinking like poise, attraction, decision making and better-smelling breath. I’d like to add another one. Alcohol made me smart. I was always right. Now I’m wrong a lot.

I blame all this damn listening I am doing now in sobriety. Taking in the verbal observations and opinions of others, processing the words without prejudgement, and considering the relevance and potential accuracy of the people around me is a real drag on my opinion of myself. How can other people have good ideas? Since when do other humans possess perspectives worth considering? How can I be right all the time if others can be right some of the time? Not only did alcohol make me smart, it also made me impervious to the alternative viewpoints of almost everyone I encountered. I stop drinking my intelligence potion, work on myself for a few years, and whammo! Just like that, my ears are more than just sunglasses holders. Nobody told me this side effect of long-term sobriety.