The Nevada Sagebrush

Grab friends, a cold one to survive stress

Monday, October 19, 2009 - 11:43 PM

It’s that awful point in the semester when all the work’s piled up, the motivation’s drained and, somehow, time is not stopping so everyone can catch up on sleep.

And, whenever I have a bad day at school or work (or both), I can always count on the external world chiming in and making things worse. Some politician is pissing everybody off, some celebrity is getting more spoiled and some jerk is cutting me off in traffic.

But when all the extra work, stolen sleep and positive thinking will no longer cut it, there’s still one more thing that will prevent me from moving to an underground bunker in rural Idaho.
It’s knocking back a drink with my buddies.

I’m all for stress reduction through exercise, eating right and sleeping, but sometimes you just need some brain inhibition and laughter with your friends. Whether it’s a glass of wine on the phone with my best friend in Wisconsin, a beer with my boyfriend and his roommate or margaritas in a room of squealing girls, there’s something deeply relaxing about pouring a cup of alcoholic goodness and preparing to bullshit.

Besides, I don’t see a mini-vacay as getting so tanked you can’t remember anything. One glass of wine can make me forget I haven’t done dishes in two weeks for a few minutes. And, as long as you stop at one or two, some things, such as red wine, can actually be healthy for you.

But I still don’t feel bad when I have a few too many and find myself almost peeing my pants from irreverent laughter. Laughter can do everything from release pain-killing and stress-reducing endorphins to aid digestion, increase oxygen intake and boost the immune system.

Besides, how much does it bond you to someone if they’re holding you up while you both laugh your guts out? Or, for that matter, if they hold your hair while you puke or keep a lookout while you pee in public?

In the future, I’ll probably be a gnarled old person hunched over a bar, complaining about how, in my day, things were cheaper and children were better behaved. I’m OK with that. Because after all the other grizzly old people and I have gotten all our whining out of the way, we’ll knock a few more back and then cry with laughter over those hazy memories of our younger, stupider, drunker selves.

Emily Katseanes is perspectives editor. If you see her at a bar, buy her a drink (gin and tonics are a favorite). Reach her at ekatseanes@nevadasagebrush.com.