I don't know how things are going for everyone else, but life here at the Kruiser Bunker has been short of pleasant surprises since March 2020. Given that, I certainly didn't expect my Sober October journey to be one of them.
Here are some reflections on that journey now that it has come to an end.
Sober October seemed like a good idea to me this year for a variety of reasons, some of which I elaborated upon here at the beginning of the month. In general, I'm a big fan of the occasional physical, mental, and spiritual reboot. Even the best of habits can become a bit moribund after a while and slight tweaks can reinvigorate them.
There are a lot of "Man, I could use a drink," moments happening every day in Joe Biden's America—especially when one has to pay attention to all of the political news of the day. I thought that this respite from tippling might be more arduous than the breaks I've taken in the past.
Now I'm considering making it an annual tradition.
Rather than it being a slog, I found the voluntary 31-day break to be quite refreshing. So refreshing, in fact, that the month flew by, which is not the norm for me at this time of year. Some of you may remember another column of mine from early in October in which I expressed my extreme dislike of all things fall and winter. Halloween is particularly irksome, because polite society protocol dictates that other people's children be tolerated for a night.
Yeah...no.
Honestly, anything that can make my least favorite time of the year seem to pass more quickly deserves serious consideration for a recurring spot on my calendar. Heck, I may even get on board with Dry January this year.
Just kidding. For the most part, time moves too quickly at my age, and I've got travel plans for the winter.
What I found most useful about Sober October was the mindset. A lot can be accomplished if one sets aside just 31 days for a specific goal. Once I'd opted to make Oktoberfest less festive, I realized that I should use the time to do more than merely air out my liver.
I completely reworked my sleep schedule to make it more conducive to all I need to accomplish these days. Although my circadian rhythm is that of a night person, much of what I'm working on now is dictated by the insane schedules of accursed day people. While I will never be one of them, I can accommodate them when there's money involved.
I'm returning to school just because I like it and, sadly, there are no 3 AM classes. Night people are one of the most discriminated against groups in America.
The aforementioned reinvigoration of established habits has been the biggest boon. The focus on doing one thing differently for the month helped me decide to do other things better.
I'm not exactly a new man after Sober October. I'm just a guy with a healthier liver and a different, more functional approach to each day.
I'll drink to that.
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