I’ve just come home from a town fair in the town I live in, which is a textbook example of German social culture:

It’s called “Junggesellenfest”, and it’s basically a small fair with two or three fun rides and a lot of stands where you can drink. And drinking is what people do.

Well, no problem there, is it? I have a different perspective on this topic these days, because it glorifies alcohol in a society of a country which is in the upper top ten of alcohol consumption in the world. Alcohol isn’t only cheap as f*ck, it’s also promoted in every single possible way, normalized, and since it is a fair where kids play a big role, drinking is part of every day socialization and education.

And THAT is, for me, a problem.

Apart for the excuse of binge drinking and giving our kids the feeling of absolute normality of consuming alcohol, it also promotes the narrative of drinking as a perfectly sane and healthy daily activity. Which, in turn, stigmatizes people who can’t control their drinking, because they don’t consume healthily, do they?

Well, I will not go too deep into the matter. There is literature you can read. I your command of German is good, I would recommend “Katerland” by Georg Schomerus. There is other literature as well in different other languages, but I don’t want to advertise.

All I can say is, I am glad to have escaped this vicious circle. And I don’t object fairs if they don’t rotate solely around drinking.

Until next time, take one step at a time and keep up the faith in yourself.