Liquid Courage

We drink for different reasons, to celebrate, to mourn, to socialize or to just get high and wasted. Whatever the reason maybe, with some liquid courage we all seem more daring. However, this sort of courage comes with its pitfalls. And what are those pitfalls, if you care to  know? Well, why don’t we find out by delving into our topic for today — Liquid courage!

During high school we went on a trip to the pink city. It was a train journey for the most part, so we had to spend a considerable amount of time inside the train. We were still having fun though, listening to music, playing cards, gossiping and behaving like how typical high schoolers would behave. When it was time for dinner, the food boxes were handed to us by our teachers. I opened mine and started eating, but for some strange reason, the box slipped out my hand and fell on the train floor, dirtying my footwear as well. I knew I had to clean up, but I thought why not I start with my footwear first and then do the floor. As I made my way to the washroom to clean my footwear, word spread around that I had spilt food and this irked the French teacher who was also on the train. When I returned back to my compartment, the French teacher, without saying anything, tried to manhandle me. It left me shocked and embarrassed to the point I cried and cried over it for days.

Pink city (Jaipur)

Why would this teacher manhandle me for spilling food and that too by accident? Why is he overreacting here? What’s the real reason behind this unreasonable aggression? It didn’t take any of us more than a couple of seconds to realize that the French teacher was friggin’ drunk and didn’t have the slightest clue of what he was doing. After the trip was over and I was back to school, the principal had called me for enquiring about the incident. I told the principal what had happened and later the French teacher was fired.

I was at a summer party organized by the company for its employees. The party had a smorgasbord of food and drinks, and we could just indulge in whatever we like, there were no restrictions. I befriended a bartender there and whenever she saw my empty glass, she would top it up. I had no idea what I was drinking or how many rounds I was doing. I went on and on with no limits. At the party, I spotted a colleague who had earlier sent a sassy/authoritative email to me about work related stuff. It ruffled my feathers when I first read it but had to suck it up for professional reasons. Now she was there right in front of me…and I was drunk. The next thing you know, I was having a conversation with her, but I don’t know what exactly I spoke.

As the evening went on, I drank and drank, and later puked all over the washroom. I was also passed out for 20 minutes inside and my colleagues were about to call the bar manager to unlock the washroom from outside. Though I managed to come out of the washroom without needing anyone’s help, I still relied on the support of my colleagues to put me in an Uber. Long story short, I somehow made it to my condo in one piece. 

Things went downhill from there. The following week, I had a call with someone higher up from the People and Culture team. Apparently, the colleague with whom I conversed at the party had reported the incident. I had to apologize for what I spoke to her except that l didn’t know what it was. 

“Let’s forget this bitter incident by having something sweet,” I told her and handed a couple of Lindt chocolate bars. 

Though she smiled at me when the chocolates were given, the damage was already done. I had earlier applied to be a member of the DEI committee in the organization but I was rejected now solely based on disciplinary grounds. Besides this, I went back to that restobar, on my own initiative, with some cash, wrote a handwritten apology on a napkin and had it handed over to the janitors who cleaned up the dirty washroom that night. 

In retrospect, all it took was one evening of excessive drinking for the French teacher to lose his job. And in my case, my reputation within the company. So, knowing your limits or even abstaining from drinking in an inappropriate environment is necessary if you value your job, your reputation and human life in general. There are several reported cases of DUI accidents across the world. Therefore, the next time you grab yourself a drink, pay attention to the environment you are in and your own tipping point, ‘cos liquid courage does come with its pitfalls.

Thank you!