FOMO: Fear of Missing Out
At 21 years old most people are out every chance they get at different bars and clubs meeting new people. It’s almost somewhat expected to meet new people out at bars and if you don’t, you’re usually a boring prude. These are the thoughts that I had when first getting sober. I thought that since I couldn’t drink anymore I would miss out on more experiences that you were “supposed” to go through in life.
Early on in my sobriety I was completely immersed in the recovery world. I would feel like I was 40 years old when I was really 18. I was scared that in order to live I was going to have to sit in church basements and listen to old guys talk about the war. I was scared that I wasn’t going to laugh or meet people my age. Thankfully this hasn’t been the case. My sobriety has actually been an asset to my social life. I was scared initially of the judgment I may face since I didn’t drink. Boston is a huge drinking city. The social scene revolves around drinking whether it’s where I live in Southie or down the cape in the summer. It’s wherever you go around here. I’ve been fortunate to be a bartender in recovery (I swear it makes sense). I have been able to be around alcohol and not be bothered by it. Since I can do that I have been able to go out with my friends who do drink and party. They understand that I can’t drink in safety and honestly I don’t care because I can still be just as fun and crazy sober. I also make a great designated driver if we happen to leave the city.
I have been able to travel all over the country and take every experience that has been offered to me. On my 21st birthday, I and a close friend took off for the week down to Miami. I spent my 21st birthday on the beach and then at one of the best nightclubs in south beach. I did all of this without a substance in my body. This past weekend I went down to the cape with a few friends for a festival. We spent the entire time laughing and causing havoc. If you didn’t know that I didn’t drink you would think that I was drunk. I have learned to accept the fact that even though I can not drink socially it doesn’t have to mean that I can’t have a social life outside of the walls. The fear I had about missing out has been smashed. I take on any adventure that I can. I live life to the fullest.