2026 01 12

Moth to a flame… Rainbo Club, Chicago, Illinois. December, 2025. © Clayton Hauck

Not much to say today, but contemplating bars and my drinking habits as I listen to a Dry January segment on NPR. I’m drinking less than I used to, however, am also far from quitting alcohol. It’s fascinating to consider how human habits can change so relatively quickly and on such a large scale; people are drinking far less and having less sex. While I don’t have any answers as to why this is the case, social media is my immediate suspect. I still love bars myself, I think because they are the perfect solution when my introverted self wants to be social — I can sit alone in a room of people and observe, or engage and socialize if I’m feeling more adventurous. Either way, the juice dulls my over-stimulated brain so that it resembles something a bit more manageable. Keeping the balance of using vs abusing is where things can get complicated and there’s no doubt many people I know should not touch alcohol no matter what the reason for wanting to.

-Clayton