It's Usually More Like Happy HourS

Here is my take on this article.

The basic summary of it seems to be that women are drinking more because of the types of jobs that women are taking. What I fail to see (or at least see what the big deal is) is why this is a "woman issue" and not a "co-workers drinking more together issue".

At my last two professional jobs my initiation from the new girl in the office to an acknowledged member of the organization happened out of the office and over drinks at a local bar. No orientation session or staff meeting gave me a better idea of what my work environment was actually like then sitting at a bar with my coworkers did. That's where I learned what everyone was really like, who was going to be a good coworker, good friend, someone to avoid, someone to not get too close to because they were handing in their notice the next morning, etc. I'm not saying it isn't possible to make friends with people you work with without getting drunk with them but for me that's how it happened.

As a result of this work/social culture I drink A LOT more then I did four years ago and much more frequently. I also worked in two intensely demanding work environments that left me needing a glass of wine after work in a way I didn't before. What I find a scarier dependence personally is not my dependence on drinking because of work but in making friends where I work.

When gainfully employed I tend to be the type of person that puts work first in all situations. I work more then I play and I'm just not very good at seeking out social situations so even though I enjoy socializing I need it brought to me. All the new friends I've made in the past few years have been somehow connected to my job and one of the things I hate the most about my current venture into the retail world is how little I enjoy anyone I work with outside of them as a coworker. They're all very nice people but I've yet to meet that "job BFF". You know, the person that you might never talk to outside the job but is totally on your page during work hours. Not having one feels weird and strange but my need for one feels weirder and stranger.

My greatest wish when starting my last job was not that I enjoyed the work but that the people were awesome and of course that's exactly what I got. An office full of peers that became good friends in and outside of work but a job that I hated doing.

I feel like I should end this with some grand revelation of having figured out how to have both or why it's not important to have both but I can't provide either. I still need that friendly face as much as I need that paycheck.