So it’s 5:00 pm on an average Friday afternoon, and where is everyone? You guessed it, Happy Hour!
What is it with America and Happy Hour? I suppose because here there is a taboo in reference to drinking alcohol unless it is at a preordained, specified time. Yes, you can get away with drinking in the mid-morning if you are at “Brunch”, but that’s it because the clock seems to dictate when we imbibe.
Take a recent Heineken commercial…A fellow is getting applause over his presentation at work. He pops open a Heineken. Everyone at the conference table stares. He then shows them that it’s a Heineken 0.0 (“Great Taste, Zero Alchohol”), and suddenly, all is well.
In France, they would more than likely all be either enjoying a fine wine during the meeting or gathering after for a leisurely lunch and opening a bottle. There is no concern about when you drink because it’s not about drinking. The focus is on the experience, taking in the aroma, and savoring the flavor. This is perhaps why drinking “on the job” is a non-issue. You share time together. It’s not about overindulging.
We could learn a lot from the French…but in America, at least at work, stay sober and…
Stay groovy…
–Susie
(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)
Harmonious Groove 