Last weekend I decided to throw an alcohol-free party. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I wanted to celebrate the fact that I am very close to completing 365 days without booze. I was also hoping to show my friends you can still have a nice time without an alcoholic drink.
I love hosting parties and we have thrown some incredible ones over the years. But clearly, people are a lot more tempted by a night of free alcohol than they are by a night that’s alcohol-free. I don’t blame them. But I thought I’d give it a go.
But then the texts and emails started to come in. “I’m sorry, we’re not going to be able to make it after all.” Message after message with various different excuses. “We’re coming down with a sick bug”, “we’re a bit jet-lagged”. It was difficult not to be disappointed.
I was expecting around 80 people and I wasn't counting, but probably only half that came. Some didn’t even bother to send their excuses, they simply failed to turn up.
In the end, it was a lovely evening. There were fireworks and sparklers and toasted marshmallows. There was a little bit of dancing and a lot of nice chat. The people who did come made it really special, and essentially that’s all that matters.
The next day my friend Romany sent me this message: “Thank you so much, Daisy, for pulling off a really good sober social experience. Actually, a really good sober party. So people didn’t ‘wave their arms in the air like they don’t care' on the dance floor? But I remember everyone I met, I even remember their names. And we all had an improved, shorter and more memorable evening without alcohol. So well done Mr and Mrs Steel for sharpening the knife once again and making us all raise our game, or is it our glass?”
An entrepreneur and former senior oil broker, Ruari gave up drinking after excessive consumption almost cost him his marriage, and worse, his life. Going alcohol-free improved his relationships, career and energy levels, leading to him founding OYNB to provide a support network for others.
