(08-31-2010, 04:02 PM)kaworuchan Wrote: Well, I suppose I could have posted about this in the "Weddings" thread, even though it had nothing to do with an actual wedding. But here goes.

I went to my stepfather's 60th birthday party the last weekend. There was close to 100 people there, in a small ballroom. There was booze everywhere. There was talking, cheering, celebrating my stepfather, etc.

Well, first off, I obviously got very much overloaded seconds after going in there. Add in the fact that this party celebrated the life of a stepfather who loved to smack me around when I was growing up, and that makes things worse. And then there was the drinking - something I am trying to cut out of my life completely, and I have to go to a party where I am already overloaded and booze is readily available to every adult in the room. Add in the fact that my mother was demanding I went up before everybody and said nice things about my stepfather..... Yeah, it was not fun.

After my brief speech, I walked out of the party and spent the rest of the evening sitting on a bench outside, sipping on a bottle of water and listening to my iPod.

Everybody there seemed happy to see me around, so I did my best to pretend I was happy to be there as well. It was very tough for me.

So, that was a hellish night for me. I survived without a meltdown, but that was only because I stepped outside for the second half of the party and then hitched a ride home early with another relative. At least I did not tap into the punch bowl of extra-strong sangria that was prepared for this party - the thought did occur to me. Heh.