GETTING BACK ON THE HORSE (by David Hateley)

Hi, my name is Dave. If one year ago you told me that I would be an internet blogger I probably would have told you to that you were daft. If you then tried to tell me that I would be an internet blogger about my year of sobriety I probably would have told you to f&^% off.

You may be interested in why I have decided not to drink alcohol for the year of 2010 because it is a pretty big thing to commit yourself to. When you try to explain it to people they sometimes look at you blankly like they don’t understand.

The biggest reason I decided not to drink this year was so that I could apply myself to my studies and finally finish University. I know what you are thinking, this guy is 26 and still hasn’t finished uni, he must be one of those annoying mature aged students. This isn’t really the case, I would be about the average age for my degree at the moment. In say that though, I have been at uni since I was 18 with only one full semester off.

I am what you would call a student with enough intellectual capacity for university but a below average study ethic. At the start I got by doing this, but over the last 4 years when things got a little more serious in my studies, I have spent a lot of time cramming last minute study in, repeating whole years (another story for another day) and doing supplementary exams. This year I want to actually develop a proper study ethic so I pass everything on the first go (and two tests from last year) and finally finish uni come November.

Other smaller reasons I am not going to drink this year are more the “gunnas” that you always say that you are going to do and never end up doing (sort of like studying). Like not missing a great morning of surfing because you are hung over, getting fit, waking up early and reading more books.

Back to the drinking. As a drinker I was your typical youth drinker, a binge drinker. Although my drink of choice and the number of times a week I partook in this hobby has changed over the years my pattern of drinking never really did. It was all or nothing; there was no such thing as drinking 1 or 2 for enjoyment. This sometimes led to things that I am not proud of, like being caught drink driving but I am also not going to try and tell you that I didn’t have a bucket load of fun during these times.

If you actually stayed interested enough to finish reading my first blog, thanks. Hopefully I can provide you with a little entertainment and insight throughout the year.

Dave