Signature Photo – Istanbul, Turkey: Photo by Barbara A. Besteni ©
When I look at those memories that show up on my Facebook feed, I cringe whenever a photo of me holding a wine glass pops up as one of the memories of the day.
From trips abroad to trips around my house, dozens of photos showing me holding a drink crowd the pages of my social media accounts. It was a status symbol that sent out a message that’s all too common in our everyday lives.
It’s a symbol — subliminal and sometimes not so hidden — that we find on television, in movies, magazines, online, in stores … you get the idea.
“Hey! Look at us. We’re so cool and happy!”
Remember the hit television show, Sex And The City? It elevated the Cosmopolitan, a mixture of mostly vodka and cranberry juice, to trendy and fashionable status.
Television does that. It makes us relate to the characters we see. And if the message is successful, as most television shows and ads are, we associate whatever the characters do with what’s cool and trendy. And who doesn’t want to be cool and trendy, or at least cool and trendy enough to pass as such?
Again, it’s subliminal. But that’s what makes advertising and product placement in movies and television shows so effective.
That’s why they rarely show you the morning-after hangover or trace the “I don’t feel quite right this morning,” feeling to that “just one more glass” the characters had the night before.
But the real people behind those characters are starting to realize that alcohol isn’t as sexy as their characters make it out to be. And so many famous people who are choosing to go alcohol free are wearing their sobriety like a badge of honor.
Case in point: Kristin Davis, best known for playing Charlotte on Sex And The City, has been sober for over 30 years — even before she starred on the show. But she now shares her story and is open about why she chose to stop drinking.
And Hollywood’s list of sober stars keeps growing.
News Alert: Alcohol Does Not Validate The Vacation Or Celebration
Look at your social media feeds. Pay particular attention to the ones showing people on vacation or during a celebration of some kind.
I guarantee there’s at least one photo of a person holding a glass of wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverage. Chances are there’s a bottle of booze nearby.
Why?
When I think back at what I felt when those photos of me were taken, and I associate them with what happened in the interim that led to my sober-curious journey, I’m filled with gratitude … not only for the memories those photos conjure up … but for the reminder that the memories I create now without alcohol are seen with a clarity that alcohol robbed from the former me.
I no longer re-post memories with those photos in them. I no longer like or comment on posts that show people drinking or making cute comments about drinking.
One of my past articles mentions a friend who posted a photo on Facebook showing a bottle of Grey Goose in the center console cupholder of her car as a sign that she was ready to celebrate a milestone birthday.
There was a time when I would have liked that photo without giving it a second thought.
But today, thinking of how that “celebration” could have been my friend’s last birthday or how it could have impacted the lives of those who might have lost loved ones because of it, makes me want to go back in time and bitch slap my friend — and me — into the sober reality of the message that post was sending.
It’s Time To Update The Signature Photograph
I love that photo I took of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul seen through the wine glass. It was taken on what can easily be one of the Top 10 days of my life.
It’s a photo I’ve reprised dozens of times since using other backgrounds and scenery. But it’s time to update that signature photo with a glass filled with something other than alcohol. You see, the wine isn’t what made the original photo special.
The people I was with and the memories we created have lived long after the wine’s temporary buzz wore off.
The wine had nothing to do with the memory’s sanctity.
Don’t Drink And Social Media
This article isn’t a judgment on those who drink. It’s an observation.
But if you recognize yourself in this article and find yourself glamourizing your drinking — even unconsciously — think before you post or respond to alcohol-themed posts and photos on your social media feeds.
The subliminal messages you send may impact the lives of people you may never meet.
Trading Barbs With Barb 