971: Awkward

[Junkenstein]

Originally Posted by tuttle88

I was suprised that he liked the White Album, I thought it was the kind of thing that was so hyped that it would end up annoying him.

I hated the beatles (especially their singles) but i love the White Album. It's that good.

[sagzy]

I do find it hard to trust someone who doesn't drink but then my best friend didn't start drinking till very recently and i was already 3 years. I just find it hard to relate to a person who doesn't drink. The ones who get high on life are even crazier

[MaxxedMan]

I'm a heavy drinker, and the reason that drinkers are uncomfortable around non drinkers is because we feel secretly judged. The more you say you aren't judging the more we distrust you. There are times i stop drinking when I need to lose weight, and I feel awkward as hell ordering a diet coke when everyone else is having a beer. "Oh you guys go ahead and drink, I'm being healthy today, so I'm gonna sit here and sip my cola while you all kill your livers." A real friend would kill his liver with you.

Same reason even good people feel a little awkward around nuns.

And to a lesser extent, when I ordered the pork sliders yesterday only to find out my date was a Jewish Vegetarian.

Its like when you and your buddies "accidentally" kill the stripper, you have to make the guy that was in the other room help cut up the body so he in it with you and won't go to the cops.

[therickster2]

Hey Chemda, I share your problem with people getting awkward because I don't drink. I don't get it, and I think it's stupid. I just don't like the smell or the taste of alcohol, I will drink a little now and then, but I don't really like to. Don't let them get you down!

[Cretaceous Bob]

Originally Posted by MaxxedMan

I'm a heavy drinker, and the reason that drinkers are uncomfortable around non drinkers is because we feel secretly judged. The more you say you aren't judging the more we distrust you. There are times i stop drinking when I need to lose weight, and I feel awkward as hell ordering a diet coke when everyone else is having a beer. "Oh you guys go ahead and drink, I'm being healthy today, so I'm gonna sit here and sip my cola while you all kill your livers." A real friend would kill his liver with you.

Same reason even good people feel a little awkward around nuns.

That sounds like a very self-conscious group of people.

[BlinkChic182MN]

best show in a LONG TIME, Jesse and Micha's chemistry together is hillarious! Loving Micha on the show even more!
as far as the AA talk goes, I didnt vote because from what I heard neither seriously need AA. It was the most hillarious story when Chemda was describing Micha's shenanagins while she tried to sleep, and if that was the only incident of the night where his behavior was a bit weird, then I dont think he is an alcholoic at all. And neither is Keith, just becasue someone drinks everyday doesnt mean there an alcholic. I have a drink or two everyday, but in no way do i see it as a problem becuase if for some reason I coudlnt drink I would be fine with it. I woldnt steal or sell shit for booze, and thats when I define someone as being addicted to something. Or maybe its just that I take AA too seriously and its really for any booze hound who had a rough weekend?

[Junkenstein]

Jesse is funny as hell every single time, but i would LOVE to hear him coupled with Dan Allen once again.

Anyway he always has at least one line that almost kills me, even only for the delivery.

"Oooooooh that was a call-baaack! We're getting into kaaaaah-meeee-dyyyy!"

wow.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by MaxxedMan

I'm a heavy drinker, and the reason that drinkers are uncomfortable around non drinkers is because we feel secretly judged. The more you say you aren't judging the more we distrust you. There are times i stop drinking when I need to lose weight, and I feel awkward as hell ordering a diet coke when everyone else is having a beer. "Oh you guys go ahead and drink, I'm being healthy today, so I'm gonna sit here and sip my cola while you all kill your livers." A real friend would kill his liver with you.

Same reason even good people feel a little awkward around nuns.

And to a lesser extent, when I ordered the pork sliders yesterday only to find out my date was a Jewish Vegetarian.

Its like when you and your buddies "accidentally" kill the stripper, you have to make the guy that was in the other room help cut up the body so he in it with you and won't go to the cops.

This post was interesting to me because I grew up with a bunch of religious non-drinkers, some of whom drank in secret. I remember many times as the bartender and waiter in a country club being asked for a "special" orange juice or coffee.

May a I recomend a martini to go with your bacon-wrapped scallops on the second date?

[marina]

Originally Posted by Junkenstein

Just out of curiosity: how does the whole intervention/AA thing work in the States? Our version of the AA is some sort of compulsory rehab that they force you to do when you cause big trouble under the influence. Individual choice is not a big part of it. (Basically that's how it happened to me and a lot of people i had to hang out with when i had a drinking problem). But your system seems to work better.

AA is supposed to be a personal choice to go or not go, depending on whether or not you feel you need it.

In the last few years, judges have started to assign AA as a punishment for public drunkenness or crimes involving intoxicants. There are a lot of old AA people that think this shouldn't be the case because AA shouldn't be a punishment. There are also a lot of other people who don't care.

Personally, I'm a little wary of institutionalizing the 12 steps because where there is institution, there is dogma and then you do find yourself in the middle of another stupid religion.

Originally Posted by RachaelBachael

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't AA routed in christianity? Isn't there a prayer about having the lord giving me the strength to do what I can and cannot do or something like that?

Bill and Bob,the founders of AA did start out in a Christian group, which is where they got the idea for "a god of your own understanding." They left for 2 reasons. Primarily that none of them could live up to the "perfect adherence" to the commandments that the group demanded, and secondarily that drunks of all kinds had started to show up at the upper class Christian group's meetings and the Christians didn't particularly want their houses and meeting rooms full of laid out drunken bums.

The thing is, since AA started on the East coast of America in the 40's pretty much everybody there had a Christian background, so of course there's Christian tropes in there, that's what they had to work with. But pretty much every one was a man too, and in my experience they're no less welcoming to other religious experience than they are to women.

I'm not in AA, and although I am in another 12 step program I don't pretend to speak for 12 steps. That's just what I know from being around.

In my experience of my own 12 step program, there are some groups that I don't go to because they're too Jesus-y for me, and there are some that are too political. The idea is that a meeting is a place without political or religious affiliation, but that doesn't always happen because, after all, the meeting is a place for people who are deficient by self admission.

[dangerous]

"i don't trust camels. or anyone else who can go a week without a drink."