It’s that inevitable time of year – work Christmas parties that you’re expected to attend. Even if it’s just to show your face.
But it brings to light the rather irritating attitude regarding drinking alcohol in Australia.
I showed up to the departmental Christmas party and was immediately directed to the esky with all the beer and wine. When I mentioned to the person in charge that I didn’t drink, and asked if they had any soda, I was treated like I had 2 heads or something.
“But why???” she asked!
Honestly, why I choose not to drink is none of your damn fucking business in the first place. But you want to know? Really?
1. It’s a work function. I am by no means the only person who doesn’t like the idea of drinking around work colleagues.
2. It was the middle of the day. A lunchtime Christmas party. We all had to go back to work afterwards. But that was apparently deemed an “acceptable” excuse, because it wasn’t that they didn’t drink at all, it was only that they didn’t want to drink right then.
3. I stopped drinking years ago (not that I ever drank much in the first place). Because my parents are raging – albeit highly functioning – alcoholics. Violent ones at times – although I concede that they’ve not done anything violent towards me for a long time, I suspect that’s primarily due to the fact that I don’t live at home, and only see them once in a blue moon. I simply don’t give them the opportunity to do anything in the first place. I doubt many would find it too surprising that the children of alcoholics might choose not to drink.
Heaven forbid anybody in this fucking country simply doesn’t drink. This attitude of “you don’t drink? what’s wrong with you?” makes me angry. People choose not to drink for a whole variety of reasons: health, alcoholism, religion, simply don’t like alcohol or its after-effects…It really isn’t anyone’s business.
But apparently it’s “un-Australian” *headdesk*
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