Is alcohol moving relationships forwards or backwards?

Today’s topic is designed to work out if and how alcohol affects our relationships. Is alcohol harming the relationships we have with others or is it aiding us in letting our guards down thus getting closer and improving our relationships?

My friend and I were discussing this very matter today. She met her boyfriend on a night out. Both of them had alcohol in their systems yet they both will state that without the “Dutch courage” they definitely would not have met, let alone form a relationship.

The couple themselves - Ali and Lisa- the night they met

I can confirm this because I was there. We were on the dance floor at a nightclub when she noticed him. He was dancing next to us when suddenly his bloodshot eyes glazed over her face. All of a sudden they were slurring god knows what to each other and the next time I looked over they were kissing, and quite passionately if I remember correctly… It’s all very romantic isn’t it?

They are celebrating their one year anniversary next weekend.

Ali and Lisa on holiday in Dublin - perhaps remembering what it was that brought them together...

The foundation of their relationship is hardly alcohol, but they are one of those couples that seem perfect and at the end of the day alcohol was what brought them together. It appears alcohol has done them well.

Another good friend of mine was seeing a guy, again who was met on a night out, but all was not going well when he decided he just wanted to be friends, with benefits if I remember correctly. It was after she received this news, via the grapevine no less, that she decided to knock back an alcoholic drink and run over to his house to give him a piece of her mind. They ended up dating for two and a half years and are still good friends to this day.

It is all madness I know, but both of these relationships would never have formed without the drink, so perhaps alcohol can move relationships forwards.

And then there are those of us who are guilty of waiting for the next night out, with the boy or girl we like, to see what happens rather than simply soberly asking that person how they feel. The latter really would be a lot easier if you ask me. But I suppose then we can’t get away with the “I was drunk” excuse. But perhaps a drunken mind does in fact speak a sober heart. Personally I would be a total hypocrite to judge anyone who has gone through this because I have so many times. I am completely guilty yes, but looking back on those experiences I see how truly cowardly they were.

I don’t know when the human race picked up on this habit. Didn’t boys use to court girls? I can hardly imagine a few boys back in the 1800′s waiting to chat up the girl they fancy the next time they get drunk, can you? No, they would probably ask the girl’s father for permission to take her out. Oh how times have changed!

Today, it seems almost rare to be asked out for a nice dinner and a movie. Nowadays most boys ask: “Do you want to meet up for a drink?” We’ve even come to the point of actually having to drink on dates to sooth the awkwardness and calm the nerves. In fact I remember a year or so ago when I was on a date, with a guy I liked, telling him of a previous bad date when he said to me: “You only need to drink if the date is not going well.” We were both drinking, so that was awkward…

But back to the topic at hand… what do you think? Is alcohol good or bad for relationships? And not only boy and girl relationships, but what about friendships? I’ve had many drunken arguments with one of my closest friends and even though sometimes there was a slight awkwardness the next time we saw each other, we would always laugh about the situation eventually.

One of the most memorable ones included us arguing about how we argue with neither of us backing down, but neither of us really remembering how the whole thing actually started. Luckily his sarcastic comeback of calling me Joan of Arc made us both laugh at our stupidity and the argument was over.

Has this really affected our friendship? I don’t think so, but it does all seem a bit ridiculous. Was it really worth a few drinks?

If you think alcohol is impacting your relationship in a negative why not check out Lisa Merlo-Booth’s Straight Talk on Relationships for some advice.

Here is what Tom from Dublin had to say:

NB. He may have been a little intoxicated during the filming of this video.

Let me know your thoughts people.

Big love,

Christine

So I was going to title this blog ‘The Morning After’, but I feel there is almost no need! Catherine, I must admit, is pretty smart when it comes to drinking. I tried my absolute hardest to get her to drink another beverage yet she declined (I didn’t know it was possible…)! So I thought ‘ok let’s work some peer pressure.’ However this didn’t work either. I almost begged her to have a drink (with me) but she still said no. She knows her limit and she certainly stuck to it.

Catherine’s drink intake (as promised): 2 double vodka cokes and 1 single vodka coke over the space of 3 – 4 hours.

I saw her the next day and she was feeling pretty good. I would never have known she had been out the night before… lucky lady. She somehow managed to keep poised while I ended up going to the casino (only losing £25 though, I’ve lost worse and won more in the past which is why I keep going back but that is a different story!) with an (albeit small) memory gap in the night and headache the next day. How unfair.

So I’ve decided that Catherine is a rare exception… Next time I’m going to need to blog on more of an alcoholic! So beware fellow drinkers… I may be watching you for my next story.

Catherine said the next day she had a pretty good night. BUT here is the awful-but-I-can’t-not-ask question: do we think she would have had a better night with a few more bevvies???

…Perhaps a good journalist would have put a shot or two more in her drink…

Here are some videos I took of Catherine throughout the night. Enjoy!!

Video 1: Sober

Video 2: Demonstrating the confusion one experiences when drinking…

Video 3: I think she was a bit more drunk than I realised!

Big love, Christine xx

Tomorrow night…

Hey drinkers!

Ever woken up on a Sunday morning and wondered what exactly happened the night before? Ever wish you could just watch it back and witness every single moment? What you drank, what you said, where you fell… Well for Catherine, I’m going to attempt at making that happen.

Tomorrow night I will be following and documenting the night out of a fellow Journalism student named Catherine. Catherine, who has agreed to having me follow her around, has said she just wants to dance and have fun… but Catherine will be drinking and somehow I suspect dancing is not all she will be doing. So look out for my next blog and lets see how the girl does…

Big love, Christine.

Just Your Average 22-year-old Girl?

Hey readers!

Before we begin let me introduce myself and what I hope will keep you intrigued and entertained throughout the year. My name is Christine and I’m just your average 22-year-old girl. Now, when I was told we needed to start writing a blog about absolutely anything in the world I began thinking about my general interests and passions. And, then it hit me…I have no one, crazy, unique interest that can wow the crowd. I’m just a girl who likes fashion and going out… of course there is more to me than that, but what is relatable and topical that may spark a discussion or even controversy? And that is when it hit me… alcohol and all that comes with a few drinks.

Like I said, I’m your average 22-year-old girl, I like to go out and socialize. But of course there are the nights where you cross the line, maybe fall over a couple of times, make a complete fool of yourself, and wake up the next morning wanting to suffocate yourself with your pillow! We all joke about these types of situations and perhaps laugh them off, but I myself often question if I should be worried or if I am, as I say, just a normal 22-year-old girl. For example, I had to write a few poems back in school… here is the first one I submitted:

Oh Vodka

Oh vodka, how I adore you!

You make everything appear so clear,

And you do not make me worry of the calories that come with the likes of beer.

You make me laugh until my face is blue,

But the next day, as to what was so funny I have no clue.

Oh vodka, how you blend so well,

Oops, oh dear, I’ve just let slip a secret I was never supposed to tell.

But why do I like you so much?

Do I see you as some sort of crutch?

Huh? You say I need you? Oh my,

But in all honesty do I really care why?

Whatever the reason,

To live without you is treason.

Oh vodka, how I adore you!

So yeah, there you have it – the first poem I decided to submit in the new school year was about my love for vodka. To me, simply humorous and lighthearted, but to my teacher it was a completely different piece of work. Looking back perhaps it was a bit much, but the fact that I saw it as a joke and another person saw it as distasteful spells out the controversy of alcohol. It may be an obvious controversy, but there is no doubt it’s an intriguing one.

Over the course of the year it will be as if you are with me on my upcoming nights out and as if you were there when I relive past tales of the sights I have seen. Some will be good, some will be bad and some may be heartbreaking. I hope you enjoy my stories, but more importantly I hope they provoke you to respond and react to something we all seem to find so funny which perhaps is just not so.