I stopped drinking probably a year ago due to me having cancer. I figure I'm done forever now, I have more than enough carcinogens for a lifetime.

The biggest thing I've noticed is just how much alcohol has stunted me. It's a tool for socializing, having fun, but along the way I never learned to deal with discomfort.

Now I go out often, alone, and sober, and I realize I never built up the skills. And they are skills really - how to be comfortable and confident in public, how to approach strangers, how to let loose and have fun. I'm anxious, I'm weird, I'm lost. Part of that is the chemo, sure, but the other part is me throwing away years of skill building in exchange for more fun right now. But now, I'm slowly building up the skills.

I realize maybe some people never build these skills. Maybe that's why people become recluses, or why they continue to drink. I also realize some people do have the skills. I've met many magic people; charismatic, kind, confident. They have the skills. Do they even need alcohol then?