How Much is Your Drink

Written by Kyu Park

Waking up in the morning, I reach out for my phone. The dim light shows 11:52 AM. The blinding sunlight from the window tells me that it is indeed nearing noon. I think I had a lab at 9:00 AM. An angry message from my lab partner confirms it. Seems like I’ve used my one and only lab pass for this semester. It’s fine. Isn’t this what passes are for? I scan my room. Yesterday’s outfit is scattered in all directions as if to prove the craziness of the night. Perhaps it wasn’t the night that was crazy. Maybe it was me. To assess the damage of yesterday’s frenzy, I check the state of my iPhone. Uncracked. Good. Then, upon seeing my wallet safely sitting on my desk, I cannot be any more relieved. Taking a deep breath, I put on my cap and head outside.

Hopefully, I won’t meet anyone I know. I’m in a quite miserable shape . It would be a shame to run into anyone like this. I head to get some hot soup to flush down this nauseous feeling resting in my stomach. “Hot beef soup to-go, paying in cash.” “$9.85” I pay with a ten dollar bill and drop the fifteen cents in the tip box. As I wait for my order, I peer around. I expect to see some hung-over companions, but all I see are people too sober for me to handle. I feel wasted. No, that is incorrect. I am certain that I am wasted. Both physically and mentally. What am I doing with myself? “Number 36!” Finally! That’s my number. I could not deal with such vibrant atmosphere any longer. I languidly head back to my azit with the to-go bag. As soon as I get back to my place, I tear open the bag and indulge myself with the hot soup. The warm liquid cleanses the alcohol coating my intestines. From top to bottom, I can feel the rejuvenation. It is ecstatic. Finishing the last drop of the soup, I lie back down on my bed. Still tired, I slowly close my eyes.

Hours later, my eyes open. The sunset tells me that the day is nearing its end. It is quite queer that the end of others' day is the beginning of mine. A notification rings on my phone. It’s a Venmo request asking me to pay for the drinks and food I had last night. 38 dollars. Quite pricey. I accept the request and pay the price. I contemplate what else is on the receipt of my last night’s drink. A whole day lost, the single lab pass used, as well as diminished health. That was costly. This is ridiculous. I’m going to quit drinking. As soon as I sit on my desk to start on my homework, my phone rings again. It’s my drinking buddy. I know where this leads to, but I still pick up. Who cares, tomorrow is a Sunday. I guess I have enough health, time, and money to spend on another night. Here I go again. Lesson learned? None.

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Above was a flow of my consciousness of a typical Saturday for me. Yet, I am sure many could relate. Although we end up regretting the consequences of going out to drink when the next day comes, upon recovery of the hangover, we head out again. What many of us become oblivious to are the long term hangovers. The loss of money and time are insignificant in comparison to the change in one's lifestyle. The lifestyle of a lover of alcohol is bound to be abnormal. Primarily, the inconsistent sleeping and eating ruin a regular, routinely life. To compensate for the stress from such unhealthy style of living, there are even more night outs. We become the drunkard from “The Little Prince” who drinks because he’s ashamed of drinking. It is foolish for one to drink over one’s limit. Yet, it is a vicious cycle from which it is hard to escape.

As an avid fan of alcohol myself, I would not deny the fun of night outs. However, balance is key. One should spend only as much as one could afford. The price is paid with a portion of one’s life. When one has responsibilities to fulfill and cannot manage to waste either time or energy, one should refrain from drinking. Drinking should be a decision made in careful consideration of its costs. Thus, habitual drinking should be avoided. It is important to enjoy our night outs, yet let us always keep in mind how much of our own life we’re paying. I am sure we all know that drinks could be extremely costly - as costly as a good life.

image: http://thewallproducciones.deviantart.com/art/Wine-of-death-287405625