When asked why I didn’t want my usual beer, I blamed my adherence to the Plant Paradox diet. This is not entirely untrue, but, you know, explaining the whole gray area drinking, sober curious thing is, well, not something you do with your ‘drinking buddies’.
In recent years, a new trend called “Cali Sober” has gained popularity, particularly among millennials and Gen Z. Cali Sober, short for “California Sober,” refers to a lifestyle where individuals abstain from hard drugs and alcohol. They still indulge in cannabis use.
“Sober October?” I reflected. I had never heard the term, but somehow I felt myself drawn to it. By this point in the pandemic I was drinking like a fish nearly every night and a break from alcohol seemed alluring.
Sure, I had read articles about how meditation slowed brain aging, calmed anxiety, and helped those who practiced it to be more mindful, grateful, and present, but was it for me? Could it help me with my gray area drinking problem? That’s what I really wanted to know. If it could do that, anything else it provided would be a bonus.
The challenge is that all kinds of drinks, gourmet appetizers, dinner, and desserts will confront me at every turn this evening.