Sobriety as act of minimalism

Let me explain.

It’s hard to think about anything else while watching the disaster unfold in California. My heart is with all who have lost their homes, communities, and loved ones–and also for those who are experiencing climate grief for the first time.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

When people think about minimalism they think about capsule wardrobes, packing in a single carry-on suitcase, or all-white interiors. However, minimalism isn’t about the scarcest number of possessions or an aesthetic stripped bare of ornamentation or color. To me, minimalism means identifying what is essential and getting rid of what’s not.

The most significant change I’ve made to achieve this essentialism was to quit drinking.

I’ll leave the volumes that could be written about our culture of drinking and the blurry lines of when drinking becomes a problem to other writers. Drinking is a sensitive topic, but I want to share my story about eliminating alcohol from my life and why I’ve come to think of it as the ultimate act of simplifying. And because this is a more personal topic, I’m putting it behind the paywall.