A dilemma of an optimal experience

[elfs]

I'd really like to go to tonight's Ignite Seattle, but after this weekend I'm so exhausted I don't know that I'd have the mindpower to keep up for the full two-hour experience, especially not if there's alcohol involved.

I really need to get out more. I've been hermiting, bad, and barely associating with the people I see regularly. I've been reading Seth Robert's list of optimal experiences, in which he lists social experiences, along with experiencing hunger, family, sunlight, face-to-face contact, and being listened to as part of his daily optimal allowances.

Sadly, I think the tiredness and achiness of surviving this weekend will take precendence.

Comments

[danlyke.livejournal.com]

I hesitate to point this out, because I've found it comes off as horribly preachy, so know that I don't mean it this way. However, a few years ago my partner asked if I'd stop drinking for a few months to see if that had helped some physiological issues I was pondering. So I did.

And I never really started back up. But what I did learn in those few months of deliberately not drinking was that it is possible to be in a situation where everyone's drinking and not consume alcohol. It's not necessarily easy, it does require some shifts and adjustments (ie: your first glass is water but tip the bartender as though you were drinking, it doesn't cost you much and they'll have your back for the evening), but it can be rewarding (even if it does mean I'm slightly disconnected from the group, I get to see interesting things).

And it turns some of those "I'm gonna be burnt and tired I don't wanna do it" evenings into a nice evening out. What I miss is the "I don't have anything left, I just want a nice single malt to sip so I can be a lump" evenings, but I'm good with the trade-off.